Arabic music
Day 3 Friday 7|03
Arabic music
Day 4 Saturday 8|03
Layth Sidiq will lead a hands-on workshop designed specifically for violin and string players, focusing on key aspects of Arabic music and violin techniques. Participants will explore melodic and modal improvisation within the Maqam system, ornamentation, contemporary string techniques and microtonality. Layth will also share insights from his personal journey into jazz, drawing on experiences from his master’s thesis, debut album, and collaborations with renowned artists like Jack DeJohnette, Danilo Perez, and Tigran Hamasyan. This workshop promises to be an engaging and enriching experience for students of all musical backgrounds.
For fiddle players with at least intermediate instrument skills
You can register for workshops by day and are free to attend multiple sessions with the same teacher
10:00 – 12:30 & 14:00 – 17:00
Layth Sidiq
Layth Sidiq is a Grammy-nominated violinist, composer, and educator currently serving as the artistic director of the New York Arabic Orchestra and Artist in Residence at NYU Abu Dhabi. He has toured the world, sharing the stage with renowned artists such as Simon Shaheen, Danilo Perez and Jack DeJohnette, and performing at prestigious venues like the London Jazz Festival, Boston Symphony Hall, WOMEX Expo and Montreal Jazz Festival. Layth’s first record, Son of Tigris, premiered at the Montreal Jazz Festival in 2016 and he is featured on multiple award-winning albums.
In 2018, Layth made history as the first Arab to participate in the Seifert International Jazz Violin Competition, where he won 2nd place. He was also honored with the ‘Best International Artist’ award at the 2020 Boston Music Awards. In addition to his performance career, Layth directs the Center for Arabic Culture’s Youth Orchestra Program in Boston and has been a faculty member at Carnegie Hall’s ‘Music Educators Workshop’.
Driven by his belief that music education is one of the most powerful tools for creating positive change in communities, Layth has collaborated with several NGOs and foundations in the Middle East, including the Kayany Foundation and Action for Hope, providing workshops for aspiring young musicians in Jordan, Iraq, and Lebanon. His work also extends to working with international orchestras and institutions worldwide, where he continues to represent Arabic music education and performance on a global scale.
Most recently, Layth served as the lead vocalist and violinist for the new Assassin’s Creed game, Mirage.
photo © Amy Fajardo
