Omar Bashir

Lebanon: Almadina Theatre - Beirut, Alhariri Theatre - Sajda – Lebanon Egypt: The Opera House in Cairo and Alexanderia Syria: City Theatre, Mar Elyan Church & The International Festival. Jordan: The Royal Theatre & Jeresh Festival Tunis: Al Mashtal Theatre, Ken Festival Morocco: Fes, Rabat, Casablanca, Marakesh, Tatwan and Aghadir. Oud Duo tour concert: Munir Bashir & Omar as well as solo Oud performances in Mawazin Festival and Oud International Festival. Algeria: National Theatre Palestine: Ramallah Popular art centre UAE: Dubai and Abu Dhabi: Islamic Music Festival and WOMED Festival. Bahrain: 5th Spring Cultural Festival. USA: touredextensivelythroughvarious US states: New York, Washington- Durham, Arcansas, Denver and variousothersatesperforming at variousprestigiousvenueswhich included Cambridge Academy, Lincoln Jazz Theatre, Symphony Space, The Duke University, World Culture Museum, Kennedy Centre. Canada-Montreal: Arab Music Festival ..2008..2015

France- Paris :Cite de la Musique- France, Maison Des Cultures Du Monde, Institute de Monde Arab, Le Rond Point Theatre. Montpellier Festival Arabesques. Lyon: Opera House Hungary: World Music Festival, National Museum,Concert in Memoray of Munir Bashir Budapest. Art Festival-Zemplen, Palace of Arts,Kongress Hall,Vigadó Theatre. MOM Theatre Germany:Berlin,Concert Hall. Switzerland: Besel ,Oud Duet concert. Greece: The Saloniki Oud International Festival and various other venues. Athena Iraqi Embassy Cultural Week The Netherlands - Den Haag- Music Academy,Amsterdam Liteside Festival. Spain :Quincy Jones Global Gumbo/Peralada International Festival. England : Radio 3 Special- The Proms –London Royal Albert Hall . Belgium-Brussels: World Music Festival . Gent Music Festival. Antwerp-Amuz Church and Bozar Turkey: Istanbul:Culture Theatre and Yorgo 1st Oud Festival. Serbia : Iraqi Cultural week in Belgrade, 2011, 2013, 2014 Georgia : Rose Peace Festival Sweden: Stockholm, Goteborg, Malmo

Omar Bashir released a total of 23 CDs. His album Crazy Oud was released in 2010 by the record company EMI. The sales of this CD has topped the charts in several Arab countries. Below is a listing of all of the albums he has released, in chronological order:

Omar performed as a soloist and with his father Munir until his death in 1997. During his career, he toured many countries and released more than 19 albums. His music is a mix of traditional Arabic music with a jazz-like improvisation.

Omar Bashir was born in Budapest in 1970, and started playing the oud with his father at the age of five. He joined the Baghdad Music and Ballet School and eventually created his own band, which toured in many countries. In 1991, he left for Budapest and joined the Franz Liszt Academy.

Omar Bashir Born in 1970 in Hungary to a Hungarian mother and an Iraqi father. Omar comes from a music dynasty of Oud musicians. His father was the late Ud Maestro Munir Bashir, his uncle was the renowned late Oud Master Jamil Bashir. His late grandfather and several members of ‘Bashir’ dynasty are musicians. At the age of five, Omar left Hungary with his parents to live in Iraq, where he grew up and began his Oud training. The Oud which accompanies him everywhere in his performances, is the very one that was given to him by his father at the age of five to begin his classical Oud training by his father. This involved often practising for up to 5–6 hours daily. At the age of seven Omar joined the Baghdad Music and Ballet School where he made his Oud solo debut at the age of nine, performing solo at the Baghdad Conservatory. In his late teens he became teacher at the Baghdad Music and Ballet school, setting up his own band of 24 musicians specialising in classical Iraqi music. In 1991 Omar’s parents moved back to Hungary, where Omar studied piano, singing and direction of choir at the Liszt Ferenc University, continuing to work and perform alongside his father. Omar’s debut performing with his father was in 1983 when Omar was thirteen. Seven years on, Omar was now performing internationally alongside his father until Munir Bashir’s death in 1997. The death of his father marked a turning point in Omar Bashir’s musical career. His creative search experimenting and exploring various instruments alongside Oud led to collaborations with many international artists, He was granted the copyright by Gypsy King to perform one of their melodies. Omar won many recognitions and international awards for his works and musical achievements. He has performed internationally in most prestigious musical halls and together with major international musicians like the Spanish Catalan Viol player and composer Jordi Savall. He was pointed by Quincy Jones to perform in Global Gumbo All Stars project supporting poor children, explaining his choice by saying " Omar Bashir is one of the most important artist and has his very own musical style" Omar Bashir made various performances for charity. On the first Anniversary of the World Trade Centre he was invited by the US government and The Institute of Arab Music as fundraising performance for the Iraqi Symphony Orchestra and Iraqi children. His single hit “To my mother“ was selected by world famous DJs Claude Challe and Jean Marc Challe in their album “ Select 2010“ and entered top ten chart in various countries. The album “Arabic Oud“ was nominated as the best musical work in West Asia by the UNESCO and entered Book of the Year of 2013 for preserving heritage. In 2015 he started experimenting with Dancing Oud where dancers accompanied his musical performance on stage. A gesture that has witnessed before in his field.