About

Few instruments exert a hold on the imagination like the oud, the fretless stringed instrument from the Middle East. Instrumentalist and composer Joseph Tawadros transports it into the modern world and following his standout recent performance with Britten Sinfonia he returns to Saffron Hall with a solo recital exploring all facets of his musical style.

In his hands the oud sings, laments, struts and swaggers. With inflections of jazz, rock, folk, classical and even bluegrass, his original compositions and improvisations journey far beyond the instrument's Arabic homelands. From thrillingly fast-paced fingerwork to a tranquil almost weightless spirituality, he is breathing new life and creating a whole new world of possibilities for this most evocative of ancient instruments.