Omani professional pianist Zahraa’ Al Yousef – artistic name: Zara Al Yousef – grew up in Muscat, Oman and graduated from Higher College of Technology with a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration. All through her life, she never took a piano lesson and never set foot in a music school. Then how did she become a professional pianist, having performed in Paris and Rome too, you might ask. Let’s find out…
What inspired you to take up playing the piano?
During my childhood, my dad used to listen to classical piano music and songs every time when we are at home or in his car. This kind of music made me feel comfortable and peaceful whenever I listened to it. I grew to love it and now, when I play these songs, I’m reminded of my childhood which makes me so happy.
Can you describe Zara Al Yousef style of music?
As I play by ear, I can catch a tune of a song just by hearing it couple of times. I prefer classical music but I also do different styles to satisfy my audiences’ different tastes, such as Arabic, Turkish and jazz.
Being a self-taught pianist is truly inspiring. What are some of the challenges you faced while learning to play the piano?
The biggest challenge was having no encouragement from my family at the beginning. As they didn’t believe in my capability to become a professional pianist one day without having a real piano at home, they didn’t let me go to music school even after I finished high school, and requested me to study business in college. Further, I was practicing on a small keyboard since when I was four years old until I got my own acoustic piano five years ago.
When did you first start performing?
My first public performance was at my friend’s wedding. It was really exciting and I remember how nervous I was. But when I reminded myself that it was my first and only chance to prove myself, I got strong again and did it. I did great actually and I started getting a lot of requests to play at weddings as well as corporates events. I was the first Omani woman pianist who adopted this idea at local weddings.
Tell us about a performance you will never forget.
There are two performances:
The first was in Paris in March 2019, when I played at a big museum’s concert in the city; the museum called Institut Du Monde Arabe. It was a huge audience of people from different nationalities and cultures.
And the second took place at the University of Roma in Rome, the capital of Italy, for an occasion called The Day of Cultural Diversity for Dialogue for Arabs in Rome held in November 2019. I was the only Omani artist representing my culture along with other Italians artists.
What inspires you to compose new music?
Usually I compose music after I have spent a good amount of time playing new styles. New tunes come to me and I just need to organise them in proper way.
What does music mean to you?
Music for me is the soul in my body. I can’t spend a lot of time without performing on my piano; I end up feeling like something is missing. And whenever I feel sad or disappointed, performing my beloved piano music is always the solution to make me calm.
What are your hopes and aspirations for the future?
Its only the beginning for me. My mission was to become an international pianist and I achieved this only in the previous year when I performed in Paris and Rome. Now I’m looking forward to perform in as many other places as possible. I also wish to continue developing myself and practising more than ever before in order to reach newer heights of success.
What message does Zara Al Yousef have for our readers?
To all readers I want to say, nothing is impossible for those who believe in themselves, follow their dreams and want to achieve success.