Aeham Ahmad

In the organizer's words:

Music as an act of resistance and hope

Aeham Ahmad is a pianist, composer and author. He grew up in the Palestinian refugee camp Yarmouk in Damascus and began playing the piano at the age of five. After classical training at the conservatory in Damascus and studying at Baath University in Homs, he developed his musical voice - between war, loss and unshakeable hope.

As besieged Yarmouk became increasingly caught up in the maelstrom of the Syrian civil war from 2013, Aeham played in the middle of the streets of the destroyed camp - often accompanied by singing children. He transported his piano through the ruins on a trailer and his music became a symbol of resistance. Videos of his performances spread via social networks and touched people around the world.

After the capture of Yarmouk by the so-called IS in April 2015 and the destruction of his piano, Aeham Ahmad fled to Germany via the Balkan route, where he arrived in September 2015. Just a few months later, he was awarded the International Beethoven Prize for Human Rights, Peace, Freedom, Poverty Reduction and Inclusion.

Today, Aeham Ahmad gives concerts and readings throughout Europe and beyond. His music combines classical music, Arabic melodies and improvisation - it tells of flight and arrival, of pain and hope. His highly acclaimed autobiography "And the birds will sing" was published in 2017 and has since been translated into several languages.

He has recorded 17 albums with various musicians. If you would like to see Aeham Ahmad live, you can find an overview of concert and reading dates here. Click here for his CDs and books.