About

Mehyar Abboud is a musician, composer, and music educator based in Berlin, originally from Masyaf, Syria. With the oud as his primary instrument, alongside cello and vocals, he has developed a distinctive musical voice that brings traditional Arabic sounds into dialogue with Western harmonies. His work has earned recognition for its emotional intensity and stylistic openness, and he has collaborated with diverse artists and projects, shaping performances that move fluidly between cultural traditions while creating a sound that is unmistakably his own.

Abboud’s passion for composition began early, when writing music became a source of refuge during difficult years in Syria. Fascinated by European classical music, he began weaving its forms and textures into his Arabic musical background, developing a compositional approach that bridges worlds rather than choosing between them. After arriving in Berlin, he expanded his palette further, exploring fusion and alternative musicwith local musicians and composing across formats that range from orchestral work to chamber pieces and band settings, always guided by a curiosity for new combinations.

Education has remained central to Abboud’s career. He has worked for many years as a music teacher and educator, including with refugee children and young people, and has been active in a range of music education projects and associations as a teacher, musician, and composer. Holding a Master of Arts as well as a Bachelor’s degree in Music Education from Freie Hochschule Stuttgart, he engages academically with questions of diversity and pedagogy, and advocates for a more interculturally open music education, continuing to preserve the cultural heritage of Arabic music while opening new pathways for musical fusion and inclusive learning.