War can be tough for anyone; the mere experience of living through the sounds of explosions and gunshots every day can haunt you for the rest of your life. Often, the fear never leaves your head, and you have to live the rest of your life with the haunting memories of bloodshed and violence. But just like they say, on the darkest night, the brightest stars shine; there are some fearless people who not only make it through these tough times but do it with so much determination and grace that the whole world sees it. These extraordinary individuals fight against all the odds and learn to co-exist with their circumstances, making the most out of them. They go on to become living inspirations to thousands of people all around the world. One such person is the Lebanese-Ukrainian composer and pianist Johnny Hachem.
Hachem had a passion for music since he was a kid. His earliest memory of loving music came from his own parents. His mother used to play the piano while his father played the violin. He loved hearing them, especially when they played together. He fondly remembers how profoundly touched he was when he first heard them play together. That was the beginning of his love for music. This love deepened when a piano teacher started visiting his home to teach his elder sister. He would often eavesdrop from afar and try to play afterwards. He would listen to the music of the German composer Richard Wagner, which brought him immense joy.
Unfortunately, his love for music was hindered by his uneasy childhood. Hachem’s life took a drastic turn when the Lebanese war started. As gunshots rang across the city of Lebanon, Hachem found it difficult to concentrate on his studies and do everyday activities, let alone practice music. But music was his dream, his passion, he had to find a way to pursue it, and so he did.
Hachem started playing the piano even if he had to snuggle up at home during the ceasefire. No matter how difficult circumstances got, his love for music kept flourishing. He never let anything stop him. Looking back at his troubling childhood, Hachem recalled an incident, “I remember the day when a shell hit the building in which we were living, and the walls and windows were shattered. I was injured at that time, but I survived by the grace of God. The journey was never easy, but I wanted to become a professional musician no matter what it cost me.” It was this determination that made him stronger and ultimately helped him achieve his life-long goal.
Today, after years of persistent struggle, Johnny Hachem holds many international awards, including the 2009 International Award for Music Composition at The International Composition Conference (Cergy-Pontoise, France) and the 2021 third prize of the Classic Pure Vienna International Composition Competition (Vienna, Austria). Hachem has over 20 years of experience playing solo instruments, chamber music as well as orchestras. His compositions have been performed on multiple stages all around the world by different symphony orchestras, inspiring people of all ages and ethnicities. What makes his music stand out the most is the fact that it’s a perfect blend of Neo-romanticism with some modernistic elements. It is inspired by real-life stories from his past or the dreams that he has for his future. Because his music is so authentic, it connects with people immediately. Talking about one of his favorite pieces, The Battle of Siddim, Hachem explained, “It is a story that took place in the Old Testament thousands of years ago in the Valley of the Siddim. I spent time in this area trying to imagine what that battle would’ve looked like. I tried to live it through my imagination and visualize all the details. And then, when I felt truly connected, I started writing this piece of music.”
Hachem has come a long way from surviving the war, like a hero, at a very early age to becoming an internationally recognized musician. Seeing the horror of war up close, he truly understands the consequences it can have on the lives of people, especially children. To help ease this pain for many families, Hachem supports humanitarian causes in Lebanon and Ukraine. In fact, when the war started again in Ukraine a few months ago, he dedicated all his musical activities towards helping refugees.
There really is no excuse for giving up on your dreams, and Johnny Hachem is a living, breathing example of that. Today, the world hears his heart-warming music, he has several international recognitions, and he continues to inspire thousands of people solely because he refused to give
