"Après un rêve" for flute and piano

Houstaf Khoury (1967) is a Lebanese composer whose work is characterized by a deep integration of Middle Eastern melodic structures with Western symphonic forms.
Born in Tripoli, Lebanon, Khoury’s upbringing was profoundly shaped by the Lebanese Civil War (1975–1990). He began his musical studies at the Lebanese National Higher Conservatory of Music, focusing on piano and theory. Despite the hardships of the war, he developed a dual fluency in traditional Arabic music and Western classical traditions. Khoury’s formal education followed a path common among elite Lebanese artists of his generation: seeking advanced training in the former Soviet Union. He moved to Ukraine to study composition under the tutelage of Ivan Karabyts at the Tchaikovsky National Music Academy in Kyiv. His time in Ukraine provided him with a "Symphonic" perspective on chamber music, explaining the dense, piano-heavy textures found in his flute sonatas.
Khoury’s career is inextricably linked to the flutist Wissam Boustany. Their collaboration, known as the "Lebanese Project," has resulted in several major works for the flute that explore themes of peace, conflict, and cultural identity. His works have been performed by major international orchestras, including the Ukraine National Symphony Orchestra and the Qatar Philharmonic Orchestra.
Scholars describe his style as "Post-Romantic Modernism." He often utilizes the Maqam system (Arabic scales) but embeds them within dissonant, chromatic Western harmonies to depict the "shattered" reality of modern Lebanon.