ABOUT THE MUSICIAN, MINA ZIKRI:
As Founder, Music Director, and Conductor of the Oistrakh Symphony of Chicago, Mina Zikri is dedicated to forging relationships with artists and musical organizations throughout the world, in the pursuit of developing new audiences for classical music. He frequently travels with Daniel Barenboim as an assistant conductor with the West Eastern Divan Orchestra on tours that take them to prestigious concerts halls and festivals in Europe and South America, such as the Salzburg Festival in Austria, the Lucerne Festival in Switzerland, and the celebrated Teatro Colón in Buenos Aires. Each season he returns to his native Egypt to guest conduct the Cairo National Symphony.
At a time when even some of the most prominent orchestras in the United States are suffering from financial and cultural uncertainty, Zikri believes expectations for how to secure the future of symphony orchestras need to be upended. To him, targeting children and teenagers through programming and innovative concert experiences is a top priority – as it is a guaranteed way of transmitting the message of the arts to younger generations.
A member of the faculty of DePaul University Community Music Division, Zikri was named one of twelve finalists in the 2007 Gustav Mahler International Conducting Competition, where he was chosen from 223 candidates from 40 countries. He attended the American Academy of Conducting in Aspen, Colorado, on a fellowship, and holds Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees from DePaul University, as well as a Performance Certificate in violin.
Zikri is the Resident Conductor of Chicago’s Lira Ensemble, a company that specializes in Polish music, song, and dance. He has recorded two albums with Lira that include music by Chopin, Lutosławski, and other Polish and American composers.
In 2019 Zikri was named Music Director of the Northbrook Symphony Orchestra in Illinois, where he works closely with Chicago Symphony’s Concertmaster, Robert Chen, who serves as Artistic Creative Partner to the group.