Art Form: Qanun playing

Location(s): Lansing (Ingham County)

Johnny Sarweh

Portrait of Johnny Sarweh

John Hanna "Johnny" Sarweh (1936-2024) was a virtuoso musician with a profound and extensive knowledge of Arabic music. In Syria he studied at the Oriental Institute of Music and apprenticed with a local instrument maker to learn to build and repair qanuns, known in the United States as an Arab zither. After his studies, he became the assistant director of the music department, a conductor, and celebrated qanun artist at Jordan's Oriental Radio.

As an educator, John Sarweh was considered a master instructor on the oud (Arabic lute), violin, voice, and especially the qanun. He was also an authority on Arabic music theory. John was a highly regarded instrument maker and crafted a special qanun for both the Michigan State University Museum and the Detroit Institute of Art.

John left Syria for Canada in 1974 and settled in Michigan in 1993. From a family of musicians well known for maintaining traditional music, John continued this mission and, at any given time, had about 30 students. In 2005 he was awarded a Michigan Traditional Arts Apprenticeship to teach the qanun, and in 2007 he received the Golden 'Ud Award from the Arab American Arts Institute for "carrying the torch and inspiring a whole generation in the classical Arabic music." That same year the Arab American and Chaldean Council honored John with a Lifetime Achievement Award for his "outstanding dedication and service in the field of music." John frequently played with the Dearborn Traditional Ensemble.