UD Festival: Nizar Rohana

Nizar Rohana is a master of the oud, the traditional Arabic string instrument. He effortlessly combines virtuoso playing with melody and intimacy. Together with Tony Overwater on double bass and Ruven Ruppik on percussion, he forms the Nizar Rohana Trio. Nizar Rohana

Nizar Rohana began playing the oud at a young age. He grew into one of the best-known contemporary Palestinian musicians on this instrument. In his music, he combines traditional Arabic and Middle Eastern influences with elements of jazz, improvisation, and Western classical music. Together with Tony Overwater on double bass and Ruven Ruppik on percussion, he forms the Nizar Rohana Trio. Rohana is the artistic coordinator of the UD Competition, in which young oud players between the ages of 16 and 35 compete for the Said Ghraibi Prize. This competition will take place for the second time in 2026 during the UD Festival, organized by the Amsterdam Andalusian Orchestra and Theater De Meervaart.

UD Festival

The sixth edition of the UD Festival will take place from November 3 to 22, 2026, in various concert halls in the Netherlands. A festival entirely dedicated to the oud, the instrument that builds a musical bridge between East and West. The oud once made a long journey from Baghdad to Andalusia and formed the basis for a musical revolution in the West. The Amsterdam Andalusian Orchestra organized the first edition of the UD Festival in 2016.