Sounds of Claire Alex Wakim

• Alex Wakim (b. 1996): Independence:
• 1 Wakim: Independence 06:23
• Deeb's Candy Shop:
• 2 Wakim: Deeb's Candy Shop 03:08
• Chemin de fer:
• 3 Wakim: Chemin de fer 04:23
• Orient Palace Hotel:
• 4 Wakim: Orient Palace Hotel 04:26
• The Green Valley:
• 5 Wakim: The Green Valley 03:27
• Seeking:
• 6 Wakim: Seeking 02:47
• Claire:
• 7 Wakim: Claire 05:06
• Listening to the Wind:
• 8 Wakim: Listening to the Wind 02:32
• Je suis seul ce soir:
• 9 Wakim: Je suis seul ce soir 06:31
• To a Fading Port:
• 10 Wakim: To a Fading Port 03:48
• Eyes:
• 11 Wakim: Eyes 03:13
• Behind Smoke:
• 12 Wakim: Behind Smoke 03:17
• To the Lost Cedars:
• 13 Wakim: To the Lost Cedars 04:38
• Total Runtime 53:39

Info for Sounds of Claire

"Sounds of Claire" is a dreamlike journey through memory and imagination, composed by Alex Wakim as a tribute to his grandmother, Claire Maalouf Haddad. Blending jazz, tango, Arabic modes, and classical influences, the album reimagines the Levant of the 1930s–50s through her eyes, before exile reshaped her world. Each track offers a vignette: a train ride from Beirut to Damascus, a lavish embassy party, a wedding under ancient cedars. In Wakim’s hands, memory becomes music, and lost moments are reborn in sound.

Alex Wakim, piano
John Murchison, bass
Alber Baseel, drums
Layth Sidiq, violin
Sarah Mueller, violin
Noemie Chemali, viola
Quinn Lake, cello
Jamie Baum, flute
Lama El Homaissi, vocals
Fadi Broumana, vocals
Brian Prunka, oud
Gideon Forbes, ney, bass clarinet
Jeffrey Charles Palmer, vocals
Emily Solo, backing vocals
Budapest Scoring
Czech National Symphony Orchestra

Recorded March 28th, 2025 at The Bunker Studio, New York City, NY
Engineered by Todd Carder
Mastered by Oscar Zambrano
Produced, composed and published by Alex Wakim

Alex Wakim
With work showcased at SXSW, Tribeca, and CIFF, composer and interdisciplinary artist Alex Wakim continues to push the boundaries of sound and story. His upcoming album, Sounds of Claire—a tribute to his grandmother’s Levantine childhood—will be released by Bright Shiny Things. He also co-authored Dust and Ions with Yara Zgheib, a music-based book juxtaposing the Beirut port explosion and the NEOWISE comet, forthcoming from Rose Metal Press. His recent premiere with the Wichita Symphony Orchestra reflects his expanding presence across mediums.

Blending traditional Arabic instruments—like the ney—with electronic textures, Wakim creates immersive sonic worlds. This kind of experimentation has led to syncs on Netflix (Somebody Feed Phil) and the Reel Change Grant.

Wakim’s music scores everything from scenes with Julianne Moore to civic campaigns with the Kansas Health Foundation and Greater Wichita Partnership, and has been featured at Raindance, Woodstock, Doc NYC, Off-Broadway’s Alvin Ailey Theater, and the National Portrait Gallery.

Based in NYC, Wakim thrives on collaboration. He also loves stargazing, history, and subtly heartbreaking stories - seeing his music as an astrolabe to understand the world. He is developing An American in Beirut, a dark musical-comedy co-written with Mona Mansour about the power of laughter in a violent and mercurial world, as well as The B!tchelorette, an opera about mental health and family.

This album contains no booklet.