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Hanna Petros (Assyrian Neo-Aramaic: ܚܢܐ ܦܛܪܘܣ, Arabic: حنا بطرس), was an Iraqi Assyrian composer and a scholar. He wrote numerous books and treatises on oriental music, Iraqi Maqams and Syriac hymnody. He also established a renowned conservatory in Baghdad.

Life

Hanna Petros was an ethnic Assyrian, born to a Chaldean Catholic family in Mosul in 1896. After finishing preparatory school, he studied oriental music at the hands of an Ottoman army officer from 1914 to 1918 and was shortly employed at the Ottoman military band in 1918. He subsequently worked as an instructor for scouting groups in Mosul in 1921. Later in 1924 he was asked to compose music for the Iraqi army's marching bands.

In 1936 he was asked to establish the Baghdad Conservatory which quickly drew musicians who gained fame such as Jamil Bashir and later his brother Munir Bashir. Şerif Muhiddin Targan was later appointed as the conservatory's dean and Hanna Petros continued to play a major role in the conservatory. It was then that he wrote most of his books. Moreover, he often appeared on the national radio to perform some of his musical works.

Hanna Petros died after a heart attack on 1958, and was buried in Baghdad.

Works

Hanna Peros' main attention was concentrated on oriental music, he composed and performed pieces in Iraqi Maqams and Syriac sacral music. He also left many literary works on that field most notably the Principals of Music Theory and The Book of National Anthems.

Discography

As composer/performer

• Caruzutha d Hasha (Qdom Shapir, Hymn, 1931)
• Geyassa (Hymn, 1931)
• Baydagh d-Ature (National Song, 1931)
• Bmani Mnawnakh (National Song, 1931)

References

• "الراحل حنّا بطرس جزء من تاريخ الموسيقى في العهد الملكي". Addustour. 28 September 2010. Archived from the original on 28 March 2012. Retrieved 31 July 2011.
• "Hanna Petros". Qeenatha.com. Qeenatha. Retrieved 15 February 2021.

v t e Assyrian musicians
Folk music	Gabriel Asaad Evin Agassi Jamil Bachir Rola Bahnam Munir Bashir Omar Bashir Haitham Yousif George Chaharbakhshi Sargon Gabriel Linda George Juliana Jendo Elias Karam Paulus Khofri Adwar Mousa Ninsun Poli Ashur Bet Sargis Janan Sawa Shamiram Urshan Faia Younan
Sacral music	Fairuz Nouri Iskandar Hanna Petros Abeer Nehme Wadih El Safi Elias Zazi
Western music	Aril Brikha Acrassicauda Azadoota Marganita Vogt-Khofri Melechesh Timz

• 20th-century Iraqi musicians
• People from Mosul
• 1869 births
• 1958 deaths
• Iraqi Eastern Catholics
• Chaldean Catholics
• Iraqi composers