Johnny Hachem or the climb of a gifted composer: Johnny Hachem composed the music of many films, most notably the documentary film by Carmen Labaki: “I Knocked on the Temple’s Door”. To his name, he has a piano concerto, clarinet concerto, Violin concerto and a large variety of instrumental and orchestral compositions that have been performed in Europe & the Middle East. His music was broadcasted on different Radio stations in the Middle East, The United Kingdom, Brazil, Central America and The Caribbean. Hachem was a professor at the Lebanese National Higher Conservatory of Music. He has achieved a Masters degree in composition with distinction. See even more details at Johnny Hachem.
Simplicity. In some cases less is more and silence can be the loudest instrument. Yet, it feels many can’t bear the idea of multi-layered compositions where there is a dialogue and sometimes unisound other times cacophonic togetherness. Instead, blunt overspeaking and emphasizes rule both contemporary pop/rock and easy listening compositions. Where and how can we find the true resonance in a musical piece? Johnny HachemJohnny Hachem: This is a very interesting question and can’t be answered shortly but what I want to say, for me, it always depends on the beauty of the music. You can listen to a very complicated musical composition which can easily enter into the ears of the audience due to its beauty. I will also talk about Rachmaninov here who composed the most difficult piano concertos in history, but everyone loves those concertos because they are amazingly beautiful. As for myself, every piece must be unique and must reflect a certain story – and it can be very simple but beautiful and deep at the same time. Jacob & Rachel is not a complicated orchestral piece and you can always hear the beautiful love melodies inside. Also, it has won an international award because I could make the combination between the simplicity and uniqueness at the same time.
Currently, Johnny is preparing for a series of piano concerts that he will perform in various European countries in the near future and says that the proceeds will be donated to the families affected by the war in Lebanon and Ukraine. He believes donating to humanitarian causes gives meaning to his musical message. Johnny Hachem has come a long way, and even though he faced a lot of hurdles, he refused to give up. And finally, he has been successful in achieving his dreams. Now he wishes to guide the aspiring musicians and pianists in the world to accomplish what he has done over the years of hard work. “Do not try to imitate successful musicians and stars. Instead, do the opposite and draw your own unique path. This is the key to success,” he stressed. He is an ambitious, passionate, and emotional person who values deep feelings and cherishes others’ happiness. Johnny Hachem’s message is about peace, and he uses his music to spread it across the world.
How can one make ends meet from composing in this era? Johnny Hachem: To keep the beauty in anything modern he/she composes. And the biggest proof for me is “Jacob & Rachel, The Love Story” it has won the 3rd prize among hundreds of contemporary compositions… Is it important as a classical musician to “be out there” and “sell yourself”? Johnny Hachem: Not at all! Have you ever thought of writing a piece with bel canto vocals in it? Johnny Hachem: Sure I did that before…
He not only successfully cultivated his talents and became one of the few names in the industry but also won a music composition award at International Composition Conference in 2009. Then in 2021, he managed to win big at the Classic Pure Vienna International Composition as well. The unparalleled achievements of this artist have no limitations as Johnny has performed as a soloist in various concerts and international festivals in multiple countries such as Ukraine, Lebanon and Switzerland. Apart from that, he has shown what a skilled pianist he is while performing in France, Austria, Germany, England, Spain, Poland, Romania, the Netherlands, Lithuania, Belarus, South Korea, Jordan, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Qatar.
Second, the contemporary music compositions have become quite difficult for the majority of the people to enjoy. Very few would like to attend such concerts and even most of the professional musicians themselves always prefer to perform a beautiful music where you can hear a clear and beautiful theme, harmony and orchestration. That’s why, I believe, every music that doesn’t contain a beautiful theme will be directly forgotten and less appreciated.