Maher mahmoud

Maher Mahmoud is a Syrian composer and oudist. He was born in 1986 in Salamiya -a city in the middle of Syria- and lived in Damascus until 2012 when he briefly moved to Jordan. In 2013 Maher moved to Denmark, where he presently resides.

Maher started his musical education at the age of six by learning the Arabic oud. He graduated from The Higher Institute of Music in Damascus in 2010, where he studied the oud deeply and both Arabic and classical western music.
In 2019 Maher graduated from The Royal Academy of Music in Aarhus, Denmark, where he studied at the Soloist-line (The Advanced Postgraduate Diploma) in rhythmic composition.

Maher has since 2005 been composing and arranging for several musical groups: big band, symphony orchestra, solo, various ensemble sizes, Arabic Takht and chamber orchestra. He is interested in world music and discovering new sounds on the oud and additionally, experimenting with different styles of contemporary music.

Since 2009, Maher has worked with different bands and artists in Denmark, UK and around Europe – among others are Damon Albarn and Brian Eno, Berlin Chamber Orchestra, Dunia Ensemble, The Syrian Expat Philharmonic Orchestra, EU.Terpe Orchestra, Dicte, JSO Bremen-Nord Philharmonic Orchestra, The Orchestra of Syrian Musicians, RUM band, Blood-Sweat-Drum & Bass big band, S. Møller Big Band, Art Ensemble Syd, Listen! Trio, Nouri Iskandar String Quartet, Li Dine, Simon Spang-Hansen & Middle Earth, Jiraan, Grænseløs, Jovan Pavlovic Trio and many others.

Alongside, Maher is working on several projects, which range from Arabic, jazz and classical oriental music, and is starting a new network of Syrian professional musicians around Europe in collaboration with Danish musicians in Denmark, where he found The Syrian Expat Ensemble.

His debut album Mirage was released in 2010

Yamm Ensemble

Syrian Expat Ensemble (Previously)

The ensemble includes Syrian musicians who studied together previously at The Higher Institute of Music in Damascus and used to be members of the Syrian National Orchestra for Arabic music.

The musicians play different styles of music range between Syrian classical, traditional, and folk music.

Maher Mahmoud -composer and oud player- leads the ensemble. In 2015 He started reassembling the group in cooperation with the known Danish musician Morten Carlsen in Denmark, where they met the first time after few years of separation. Carrying many new experiences they play different events and concerts within The Syrian Culture Caravan (2015, 2016, 2017) in Denmark: Copenhagen, Aarhus, Roskilde, Hjørring, Odense, Køge and many others.

Beside playing in Denmark, they have been touring in Europe and UK with Damon Albarn, Brian Eno, The Orchestra of Syrian Musicians and The Syrian Expat Philharmonic Orchestra.

The ensemble plays original compositions and other works belong to Syrian classical and traditional music, in addition to different contemporary works by Syrian composers.

RUH DUO

Ruh Duo consists of Maher Mahmoud (oud) and Mette Marie Ørnstrup (vocal and percussion).
The two musicians has worked together for more than 10 years and combines Ottoman/Syrian tradition with new composition and free improvisation.

It is music created for being - together, and invites for immersion in the inner space.
It is the music of the small details, with the depth of micro-tonality, where the pauses have as much weight as the outspoken.

Ruh Duo works both as a duo, but also in different collaborations with both illustrator, painter and writer Jacinta Madsen and visual artist Eva Esmann Behrens.

Ruh Duo feat. Jacinta Madsen - Live at Aarhus Jazz Festival 2021

Dunia Ensemble