Who is Johnny Hachem and some of his music composer work: Johnny Hachem is a Switzerland based composer and pianist, who was born in Lebanon to parents of musical backgrounds. His father played Violin while his mother had a great talent for Piano. He developed an impeccable ear refined over time listening carefully to his mom’s music. He grew up surrounded by sounds, music sheets as well chords which served an important role during his childhood years due to war-torn country’s complicated politics. However, whenever fire ceased he would play piano left handed even if it meant practicing alone! See extra information at Johnny Hachem.
As music theory, can you explain for other artists why it is advantageous to discover classical chord progressions and harmonies and apply them into any genre? Johnny Hachem: Of course, it’s advantageous to discover classical chord progressions and harmonies because they are the basic of almost all the music genres or let’s say they will enrich their musical thoughts even if they won’t be used the classical school way they can affect them unconsciously. It’s well needed to study all these things but at the end, when you compose, you must not to be making just a harmony exercise: you should really have the talent to add your own thoughts…
While sharing his experiences, Johnny revealed, “My mom used to play the piano while my dad played the violin. They were my biggest influence. I remember very well how touching it was to hear them play together when I was a child.” Besides his parents, other renowned names in the industry have deeply impacted him, including Richard Wagner and John Williams. “Richard’s music affected me a lot when I was young, and it used to take me to another world. I felt that I could live my best feelings while listening to it. I wanted to be a composer like him and compose music that affects people and makes them feel better,” explained the piano genius. Fast forward to the present, he added, “I believe John Williams is the best composer in today’s time and age. His music is breathtaking. He is a wonderful conductor and pianist as well. I learn a lot from him.”
Oftentimes musicals and mainstream songs “borrow” from classical pieces, even without mentioning the actual origins. The reasoning is that “every note has already been used”, so, why not. Has it ever happened to you that your compositions welcomed you in someone other’s gown? Johnny Hachem: I think no, at least not until now, haha. Or maybe it’s happened and I’m just unaware of it? It can be! Why do you think modern compositions lack of the beautiful and elegant complexity of notes, chords; the ornaments such as turns, mordents, trills, acciaccaturas, appoggiaturas; the complete lack of meaningful structures and so on? And this goes both for each and every genre. Can it be because of the untrained ears will not buy into something they feel alien and untranslatable, “too much” or because majority of the songs are written by a handful of craftsmen in the background and the “indies” in any genres are just, well, simply not enough good?
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.
He is a very talented musician who has composed music for several films, including the award-winning documentary by Carmen Labaki: “I Knocked on The Temple’s Door”. To name just some of his work he also wrote piano concertos as well clarinet and violin pieces among others that have been performed around Europe & the Middle East. Johnny Hachem’s music is like a window to his soul. The way he sees things, the feelings that are evoked in people by his compositions – it all comes through so clearly and with such honesty of expression because Johnny himself has been there before you know.