Selim Kusur (سليم كسّور, born 1937 in Daraa, Syria — died 20 February 2011) was a distinguished Syrian ney virtuoso whose performances of modal improvisation helped bring the Lebanese-Syrian school of the instrument to international attention. His classic LP Flûte Classique en Syrie – Nay (Pathé-Marconi/EMI Arabesques series, 1974) captures him in deep improvisatory mode, exploring maqām frameworks such as Rast, Saba and Kurdī with a rare blend of lyricism and technical control.
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Selim Kusur (سليم كسّور, born 1937 in Daraa, Syria — died 20 February 2011) was a distinguished Syrian ney virtuoso whose performances of modal improvisation helped bring the Lebanese-Syrian school of the instrument to international attention. His classic LP Flûte Classique en Syrie – Nay (Pathé-Marconi/EMI Arabesques series, 1974) captures him in deep improvisatory mode, exploring maqām frameworks such as Rast, Saba and Kurdī with a rare blend of lyricism and technical control. Kusur’s career centred on his work with Syrian Radio and Television in Damascus during the 1960s and 70s, where he contributed to broadcast and studio recordings dedicated to Arabic classical instrumental music. Though biographical details remain sparse, his recorded legacy—especially the 1974 LP—continues to be celebrated by enthusiasts as an outstanding testimony to the ney’s expressive possibilities outside purely folk or ritual contexts.
