Palestinian oud player: Nizar Rohana

Nizar Rohana is an acclaimed Palestinian Oud player, distinguished for combining virtuosity within fresh contemporary compositions while maintaining the Oud’s idiomatic language.

Born in 1975, in the village of ‘Isfiya on Mount Carmel’, near Haifa, Rohana grew up in a musical family, with his father playing the Oud at communal celebrations and his mother accompanying him on percussion. He began playing music early, picking up the Oud at age 12, and went on to study in Jerusalem.

As a teacher at the Edward Said National Conservatory in Jerusalem, Ramallah, and Bethlehem he further solidified his impact, eventually becoming deputy for academic affairs there.

In 2008, Rohana released his debut solo album, Sard (Narration). He has dedicated himself to crafting contemporary Oud compositions, taking inspiration from the techniques of prominent 20th-century middle-eastern composers like Tanburi Cemil Bey and Muhammad Abd al-Wahab, as well as Western composers such as Bach, Beethoven, and Chopin.

Amid the deteriorating political situation following the Second Intifada and the Iraq war, Rohana moved to Europe to advance his music career, eventually settling in the Netherlands where he teamed up with acclaimed bass player Tony Overwater to form the Madar Ensemble, which also featured clarinetist Maarten Ornstein, Tunisian violinist Jasser Haj Youssef, and Jordanian percussionist Nasser Salameh. Their album, Acamar, was released in May 2019.

For over two decades, Rohana has performed on prestigious stages and at festivals worldwide. His extensive stage experience as both a soloist and ensemble member, covers modal, improvisational, experimental, and modern music.

This concert will be the first of its kind, taking place in the undercroft of the Grand Junction, so intimate and acoustic.

Get your tickets via the Arts Canteen website.