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Iraq’s artists defy extremists with bows, brushes and a low profile

It's a hot night in Baghdad, and the national theater is packed with people who are here to see the Iraqi National Symphony Orchestra. They're fanning themselves with programs that show conductor Karim Wasfi, a striking man with thick eyebrows and a pointed beard, playing the cello. Tonight, he'll be conducting for the first time […]

Alice Fordham reports for NPR:

It's a hot night in Baghdad, and the national theater is packed with people who are here to see the Iraqi National Symphony Orchestra. They're fanning themselves with programs that show conductor Karim Wasfi, a striking man with thick eyebrows and a pointed beard, playing the cello. Tonight, he'll be conducting for the first time in more than a year. Iraq has been in the headlines lately, with extremists taking over parts of the country, American airstrikes, the militias and the politics. But the country was once a sophisticated center for learning and the arts. Backstage at the national theater, Wasfi reflects on the musicians and artists trying to keep that tradition alive.