photo by Wenfei Liu
Rihab Azar
oud
Rihab is a Syrian/British oud player, composer and community workshop leader. Graduate of the conservatoire of Damascus (2014). MA in Music Education, UCL (2018). Rihab was the first woman solo oudist to perform accompanied by the Syrian National Orchestra for Arabic Music (2014) and she was recognised by Arts Council England as a musician with Exceptional Promise (2016).
Strongly rooted in Middle-Eastern music, as well as frequently collaborating with ensembles and orchestras combining different genre influences, Rihab has written, performed and arranged music for various interdisciplinary projects involving visual arts, story telling, theatre, film and radio drama. She has performed internationally since 2008.
Rihab was a recipient of an AFAC grant (2023) and is releasing her debut album early 2026.
Her music was described as “infinitely tender and haunting” by The Arts Desk, and as a festival's “Highlight” by The Guardian.