Zade, the pianist and composer whose work blends classical crossover, romantic piano, orchestral pop, and world music, presents The Music Played, his new studio album is now available.
“Looking back on two decades since my debut album, I am filled with immense gratitude for the universal language of music,” said Dirani. “What started as a personal collection of melodies has grown into a bridge connecting disparate cultures. Music has given me the privilege to advocate for peace on the global stage, and we are just getting started.”
Now, 20 years later, Dirani continues his signature style with the release of his new album, The Music Played. An album is a collection of beautiful love songs from Italy, Spain, Lebanon—the Mediterranean, really. That culture is deeply embedded in Dirani’s music and how he plays.
The Music Played offers a musical journey built around nostalgia, romance, memory, and universal emotions. Across nine tracks, Zade weaves together Italian, French, European, international, and Arabic repertoires, transforming them through piano and orchestra arrangements into a continuous, cinematic musical experience.
The project opens with “Come vorrei / Forget Domani / L’italiano,” a medley Zade released as an album preview that brings together three well-known Italian melodies. The release marked the beginning of this new phase in his recording career. From there, The Music Played continues with “The Music Played / Those Were the Days,” then moves into a Latin repertoire with “Quiéreme mucho / O me quieres o me dejas / Pobre diablo (Vous les femmes).” The album’s French influence is later evident in “Avant de nous dire adieu / La nuit / À toi”and “Les valses de Vienne / Face à face / Ne laisse pas ma vie sans toi,” while “Shadows / From Souvenirs to Souvenirs” delves deeper into the project’s nostalgic and cinematic character.
The second half of the album further expands its international scope with “Layali al-Ons fi Vienna / Mia & Sebastian’s Theme / Soltane Ghalbha / Once Upon a December,” followed by “Kalimāt” and “Matrahak Bi Albi,”incorporating Arab-rooted sounds and repertoires into Zade’s musical universe. The result is an album defined not by a single musical tradition, but by a common thread: melodies that have remained in the memory of different generations and find new expression through the piano and orchestra.
In addition, The Music Played coincides with Zade’s fall tour of the United States, bringing this musical universe directly to the stage with performances at major concert venues across the country in fall 2026 and an upcoming performance at Carnegie Hall in May 2027.
U.S. TOUR September 18 — Dallas — Meyerson Symphony Center
September 21 — San Francisco — Davies Symphony Hall
October 1 — Cleveland — Severance Music Center
October 8 — Washington, DC area — The Music Center at Strathmore
October 16 — Mesa — Mesa Arts Center
October 18 — Detroit — Orchestra Hall
November 2 — Atlanta — Atlanta Symphony Hall November 13 — Los Angeles — Royce Hall / UCLA November 15 — Boston — Symphony Hall May 15, 2027 — New York — Carnegie Hall
With The Music Played, Zade continues to develop an artistic vision based on the piano's ability to transcend cultural boundaries and connect different generations through recognizable melodies. |