Internationally renowned Lebanese percussionist and composer Rony Barrak held his Darbouka (Middle Eastern Tabla) at the tender age of four and began playing it intuitively. Led by early self- confidence, he made his first TV performance at the age of seven and then proceeded to improve his skills through school and family performances. At the age of seventeen, Rony distinguished himself in the world of music by winning the Gold Medal in a competition on the Lebanese Broadcasting Corporation International (LBCI) television for talented young musicians in Lebanon and the Middle East. This achievement encouraged him to unleash the Darbouka from the chains of its long- standing traditional context and explore its full potential. He moved to London in 1990 where he studied orchestral percussion and drum kit at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama and later taught Middle Eastern Percussion at Trinity College of Music. Rony became a British citizen in year 2000 and has dual citizenship of Lebanon and the U.K.
Blending eastern and western flavors, Rony is a versatile percussionist, composer, pianist, and arranger. He plays and composes his own fusion style—a colorful blend of Arabic, Latin, Jazz, funk, New Age and chill-out. In addition to being the world's leading Darbouka player, he assembled his own unique percussion set. He has also incorporated into his performances fascinating instruments such as car parts, demonstrating an uncanny ability to create rare, exciting combinations out of found objects.
Rony’s love for classical music propelled him to compose symphonic pieces, taking his effort to bring together eclectic music traditions to the next level. Since 2009 he has composed, orchestrated and premiered three compositions—dramatic, graceful, and spontaneous symphonic poems featuring his Darbouka in the US, Germany and Armenia, plus other work for chamber orchestra that was premiered at Al Bustan Festival in Lebanon 2016.
Same year he was also commissioned by ensemble mini orchestra in Berlin to orchestrate & perform“ Romanian Folk Dances “ by Béla Bartók ( Bartok beyond borders)
Besides original symphonic compositions, Rony has also achieved breakthrough success since 2005 till 2017 to be the first Darbouka soloist ever performing with Symphonic Game Music Concerts produced by Thomas Böcker (Merregnon Studios) A Video Game Symphony, receiving sponsorship from companies such as Electronic Arts for multiple game concerts. Subsequently, Rony was featured prominently in five video game music albums.
Over the years, he has achieved performing as Darbouka soloist with many world-renowned symphony orchestras and conductors such as the “London Symphony Orchestra, Tokyo Philharmonic Orchestra, WDR Radio Orchestra” among many others.
Rony makes regular appearances on television and radio shows in Lebanon and throughout the Middle East, including interviews and solo performances, consistently demonstrating a strong rapport with worldwide audiences. Further, Rony served as the Musical Director and Composer for a Saturday night television show (Iktachafna el Baroud) on LBCI TV-Lebanon in 2006 and on “What the viewers want” on MBC TV in 1997.
Orchestras recorded and performed with as solist
London Symphony Orchestra, London Philharmonic Orchestra, Bremer Philharmonic Orchestra, FILMharmonic Orchestra of Prague, Toronto Orchestra and Choir, Boulder Philharmonic Orchestra, Czech Philharmonic Chamber Orchestra, Osnabruck Symphony Orchestra , Camerata Salzburg Orchestra, Academic Theatre Symphonic Orchestra of Yerevan, WDR Radio Orchestra of Cologne, Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra, Chicago land Pops Orchestra, NDR Bigband, Norwegian Radio Orchestra, UK I.A.P.S. National Symphony Orchestra, Morgenland All Star Band & chamber orchestra, Bandadriatica - Italy, Ensemble mini - Berlin
Artists performed, toured and recorded with
Sarah Brightman, Al Di Meola, Juan Martin Dave Grusin, Jaz Coleman, Ziad Rahbani, Richard Galliano, Martin Grubinger, Raúl di Blasio, Antonio Forcione, Otis Grand, Pete Lockett, Arturo Sandoval, Bond, Vanessa Mae, Don Grusin, Oscar Castro-Neves, Abboud Abdel Aal, Ibraham Loberial, Nelson Rangel, Aynur, Eduardo Niebla, Iris Hond, Patrick Leonard, Fairuz, Talvin Singh, Pedro Eustache, Simon Shaheen, Alex Acuna, Art Lande, Ara Gevorgyan, Perhat Khaliq, Mike Herting, Costas Makedonas