Music
This Syrian refugee restarted his concert violinist career in B.C.
by Richard Howard
June 29, 2016
Since arriving in Victoria, Sari Alesh won a scholarship and plans to teach children with Down Syndrome.
Sari Alesh is a talented concert violinist who played with the Syrian National Symphony Orchestra for six years, touring Europe and the Middle East. However, with the outbreak of civil war in 2011, a promising career was quickly derailed. After fleeing Damascus for Turkey in 2014, he waited for two years before his application for refugee status was accepted by Canada and he was able to move to Victoria, B.C. in February of this year.
Alesh wasted no time in continuing the pursuit of his passion, and within a couple months had once again begun performing for audiences. His undeniable talent has won him a scholarship to the Victoria Conservatory of Music, and he is pursuing English studies at UVIC with the plan of eventually working towards a Master’s Degree in music. He was effusive about the warm welcome he’s received on the West Coast when speaking to host Gregor Craigie on CBC’s On The Island.
“I’m so glad I’m here in Victoria. Canadian people support me so much. In general, Canadian people have opened their hearts, their wallets, their homes to all the Syrian people.”
The violinist is equally driven to give back to the community that has given him so much. He plans to draw on his experience as a music teacher in Syria, applying his knowledge to teaching children with Down Syndrome as early as this coming September. He’s also taken to teaching himself some of the local culture, and has transferred his violin skills to the very Canuck arena of fiddle music. “I love to play it,” he enthused. “And they tell me it’s Canadian music.” Hear the whole segment below:
[h/t CBC]
