Urho - The Way

Urho Talks is back this year with an exciting conversation on the Syriac Orthodox musical tradition! Join us on Saturday, March 28 at 10:30am EST/9:00pm IST.

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐒𝐲𝐫𝐢𝐚𝐜 𝐇𝐲𝐦𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐣𝐞𝐜𝐭: 𝐃𝐨𝐜𝐮𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐍𝐨𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐀𝐧𝐜𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐎𝐫𝐚𝐥 𝐓𝐫𝐚𝐝𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐒𝐲𝐫𝐢𝐚𝐜 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐭

Malphono Dr. Gabriel Aydin discusses with Shamosho Martin Saji about the Syriac Hymnal, a project initiated by Dr Aydin with the Syriac Music Institute to be used as a resource (now available in the App Store) that meticulously documents the traditions of ancient Syriac chants of the Syriac Orthodox Church of Antioch. This Hymnal uses Western Notation along with notational adjustments to accurately reflect the uniqueness of Syriac Chant that can now reach a broader audience and showcases the esteemed oral traditions of various centers of Syriac Orthodoxy. Dr. Aydin here discusses the history of Syriac Chant and his process in the creation of this hymnal.

⏩ You can submit your questions for Dr. Aydin in the comments or send us a message.

📝 𝘼𝙗𝙤𝙪𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙋𝙖𝙣𝙚𝙡𝙞𝙨𝙩𝙨

Dr. Gabriel Aydin is a prominent musicologist and expert in Syriac Orthodox chant, dedicated to bridging ancient oral traditions with modern academic scholarship. He was raised in Tur ’Abdin immersed in traditional seminaries and monasteries mastering classical Syriac and liturgical music. Holds a Master’s from Yale and a Doctorate from USEK (Lebanon), specializing in the comparative analysis and transcription of regional chant traditions. In 2007, he founded the Syriac Music Institute in Rhode Island to preserve Syriac chant traditions. He published ‘The Syriac Hymnal’ (2018), a landmark resource that provides English translation and specialized musical notations for the “eight modes” of the Syriac Orthodox Church, effectively transforming a largely oral, regional tradition into a globally accessible documented musical system. He also led the development of the Syriac Hymnal App (2025), a digital platform that provides access to Syriac liturgical hymns with texts, translations, musical notation, and audio recordings.

Dn. Martin Saji is native to New York and from the Syriac Orthodox Church (Malankara Archdiocese). He holds two degrees in Music, is a classical pianist, a music educator, and is currently a seminarian studying Sacred Arts.