Syrian-Emirati composer Somar Ajalyaqin (b. 1978) started his relationship with the arts at an early age in his hometown Damascus. After having studied both poetry and painting, he began his musical journey on his mother’s advise, as she advocated a holistic approach to artistic expression. That idea would later become the very foundation of his style as composer, as he endeavors to transcend the barriers of formal structure and the barriers within himself in order to express the absolute freedom of movement and emotion in the human soul. His debut CD „Contemplations“ was released in 2021 by Viennese label Gramola and the scores to his compositions have been published by Apoll-Edition, also in Vienna.