In 2008 Zina founded Ateek which is an initiative encouraging new contemporary Arab composers and musicians. The Ateek initiative got awarded twice by The Arab Funds For Arts And Culture AFAC for the recording projects of two cds Tricoter and Troubadour both consisting of music by contemporary Arab composers such as Iyad Mohammad, Joelle Khoury, Tarek Younis, Dia Succari and Haitham Sukkarieh. Troubadour ; the title is derived from the Arabic term “Itrab Wa Dour” which implies the joy of listening to the music and whirling to it.The music of Troubadour is based on the concept of Whirling and sufi poetry and musical forms such as accelerations, repetitions, and the use of oriental instruments such as the percussions and the qanun.
Zina is currently working on the cd “Tricoter” which is a musical project for trio together with renowned cellist Cag Ercag from Istanbul and qanun player from Baku Aysu Sadiqova.The theme is interweaving sounds from different cultures and styles together. The cd is being recorded at the Babajim Studios in Istanbol and mixed by NEOS in Germany. It will consist of Music by Jordanian Contemporary composers including Iyad Mohammad, Taek Younis and Haitham Sukkarieh and will be launched by the end of 2019. Zina has performed in Beirut with the same trio “Tricoter” and in Sharjah this March at the Americain University (AUS). The trio is already working on a new programme including new works by Iyad Mohammad and Tarek Younis as well as some very interesting Baroque music arrangements by Iyad Mohammad.
Also she recorded another album entitled “Folklore” with cellist Adrien Frasse Sombet. The cd includes music recorded for the first time by Boghos Gelalian and Dia Succari recorded at the Malambo Studio in Paris and released by the label Maguelone. It is available online on https://www.maguelone.fr/en/ as well as the Fnac .
As for the solo repertoire Zina is preparing for a performance and cd recording of Sarab; piano music with water colors, to be performed and recorded this December 2019 in France. In May 2019 Zina and renowned Turkish cellist Cag Ercag performed a World Premiere sonatina for cello and piano by Iyad Mohammad commissioned by the Ateek Initiative in Beirut. Poem is the most recent project we are working on to be performed by the trio Tricoter and Hala Hachem. This project consists of Poems by Arab women sung to music composed by Iyad Mohammad and other contemporary composers.We have already a cycle of three songs commissioned from composer Iyad Mohammad and four Interludes for Tricoter by the same composer.