A pandemic trip home to Wichita inspired musician’s album. Now he will debut it here

Alex Wakim took the early months of the pandemic last year to reconnect to Wichita.

The 24-year-old instrumentalist had been living in New York, graduating last year with a degree in film music from NYU, when he wanted to return to his hometown.

“It’s nice being able to see the stars,” he recalled from his home in NYC.

His return home inspired his newest album, “Dust and Ions,” which was recorded here. He debuts the album with two benefit concerts next weekend at the Wichita Center for the Performing Arts. A portion of the proceeds go to the Wichita Public Schools Fine Arts Gift Fund, to purchase musical instruments for students who might not be able to afford them, and to the Kids First Association in Lebanon, purchasing medicine for pediatric oncology patients.

Wakim said he’s been feeling very prolific in preparation for the concerts, with almost more music that he’s composed for the concert than the album he’s promoting.

The concert will include musicians from Wichita Symphony Orchestra, vocalists from Wichita Grand Opera, modern dance by the Regina Klenjoski Dance Company and composer-musician Juan Dussan. Award-winning poet Yara Zgheib has recorded poetry to accompany the instrumental music on several songs, Wakim said.

Wakim describes his music as “cinematic, with a bit more nuance.” A fan of composers such as Alexandre Desplat, Nicholas Britell, Jonny Greenwood and “John Williams is pretty much God,” he composes and teaches piano and composition.

The inspiration for “Dust and Ions,” as well as his newer music, came from various sources, he said.

“There was a point in time when the inspiration became internal,” he said. “I wanted to connect dots between pieces of the score. It’s very exciting, because you’re building up the structure of something inside.”

He’s also trying to beef up his network of movie directors, editors and writers, hoping some day they can put his music on the screen.

“Agents can kind of get you jobs, but most of the time it’s from knowing people or meeting people or just having friends and making friends with these filmmakers,” he said.

Born and raised in Wichita as part of a Lebanese family – “a lot of different, interesting influences,” he said – Wakim graduated from Northwest High School. He received his undergraduate degree from Kansas State, and while there played for a Latin jazz band, had his own jazz trio and performed in Cuba.

He also wrote his first full-length musical, “An American in Beirut,” about his experiences going to his parents’ homeland, which debuted at the Crown Uptown Theatre to sold-out audiences in 2019.

Wakim said he wants audience members to put their own visuals to the music that he performs at his concerts next week.

“I want people to listen to it and imagine a scene and be inspired,” he said.

Alex Wakim: Dust and Ions

When: 7:30 p.m. Friday-Saturday, Sept. 17-18

Where: Wichita Performing Arts Center, 9112 E. Central Ave.

Tickets: $60 and $30, from wichitagrandopera.org or 262-8054