Emerging Syrian Composers!

• BuurtBand Leiden Matilo, the New European String Quartet & Young Syrian Composers

Date: 1 April 2026
Time: 16:00–20:00
Venue: Huis van de Buurt Matilo
Zaanstraat 126, 2314 XH Leiden

About the Concert

Emerging Syrian Composers! presents a new generation of Syrian composers and performers whose work bridges European classical traditions with Arabic maqam systems, microtonality, improvisation, and contemporary composition. The concert places Syrian music firmly within an international, contemporary context, focusing on artistic research, experimentation, and exchange rather than folkloristic representation.

A central element of this event is the active collaboration with the local community. By opening the programme with BuurtBand Leiden Matilo and continuing with a chamber music concert performed by the New European String Quartet together with young Syrian composers, the event connects neighbourhood-based participation with contemporary artistic practice.

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Community Opening – BuurtBand Leiden Matilo

The afternoon opens with BuurtBand Leiden Matilo, an inclusive community music ensemble based in the Matilo neighbourhood of Leiden, an area with approximately 25,000 inhabitants. The BuurtBand operates from the Huis van de Buurt Matilo and reaches residents through local community centres, creating an accessible entry point to music-making for people with and without prior musical experience.

BuurtBand Leiden is part of a national network initiated by Fort van de Verbeelding and is locally coordinated by BplusC Leiden. Participants work with accessible and conventional instruments, focusing on collective music-making, listening, and shared ownership of the music.

The BuurtBand is led by Jiske van Loon. During this opening performance, several Syrian musicians from the concert programme will accompany the BuurtBand, creating a genuine moment of community collaboration in which neighbourhood participants and professional artists perform together.

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Main Concert – Young Syrian Composers

Following the BuurtBand opening, the main concert presents chamber works by young Syrian composers, performed by the New European String Quartet in close dialogue with the composers themselves.

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Programme
• Anan Al-Kadamani — Two Folk Tunes 9’
Arrangements inspired by traditional melodies, combining European classical string writing with Maqam modal sensibility.
• Anan Al-Kadamani — Violin and Electronics  (solo violin, 6”)
• Amr Zahereddine — String Quartet in B minor
• Amr Zahereddine — Devilish Seduction (piano solo)
• Samer Aleid — War Summary (piano, 7’)
• Samer Aleid — Two Buzuks (piano & violin, 4’)
• Kinan Abuakel — Loyalty (6’)
• Kinan Abuakel — Caprice (6’)
• Suhaib Al-Samman — Miniature for String Trio (2005)

The programme is fully confirmed and will be presented as announced.

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Performers

New European String Quartet
• Rada Avcharova — violin
• Mihkel Kerem — violin
• Jellantsje de Vries — viola
• Willem Stam — cello

Young Syrian composers / soloists
• Anan Al-Kadamani — violin, composition, improvisation
• Kinan Abuakel — buzuq, composition
• Amr Zahereddine — piano, composition
• Samer Aleid — piano, composition
• Suhaib Al-Samman — composition

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About the Composers

The participating composers represent a broad artistic spectrum within contemporary Syrian music. Their practices interweave composition and structure, tradition and microtonality, improvisation and experimentation, and a strong engagement with contemporary chamber music. Together, they present Syrian music as a living, international artistic practice, rooted in musical heritage while shaped by research, migration, and present-day realities.

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About the New European Ensemble

The New European Ensemble (NEuE) is a Netherlands-based contemporary music ensemble known for its imaginative programming and commitment to new music. NEuE creates projects that connect contemporary composition with social themes, interdisciplinary collaboration, and strong narrative concepts. The ensemble regularly performs at major venues and festivals in the Netherlands and internationally and collaborates closely with living composers.
For this concert, members of NEuE’s string quartet perform in close collaboration with the composers, shaping the programme through dialogue and shared artistic exploration.

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Artistic Perspective

By bringing together BuurtBand Leiden Matilo, the New European String Quartet, and young Syrian composers, this concert creates a layered programme in which community participation and contemporary artistic practice meet. The result is a shared cultural moment that connects neighbourhood life with international contemporary music, grounded in encounter, listening, and collaboration.