Kareem Roustom

Syrian-American Kareem Roustom is a composer whose genre crossing collaborations include music commissioned by conductor Daniel Barenboim and the West-Eastern Divan Orchestra, the Kronos Quartet, arrangements for pop icons Shakira and Tina Turner, as well as a recent collaboration with acclaimed British choreographer Shobana Jeyasingh. Roustom has been composer-in-residence at the Grant Park Music Festival in Chicago, the Grand Teton Music Festival in Wyoming, and with the Württembergische Philharmonie Reutlingen in Germany and the Mannheim Philharmonic. A musically bi-lingual composer, Roustom is rooted in the music of the Arab near-east but his music often expresses beyond the confines of tradition. The themes of a number of his works often touch issues of those affected by war and instability.

At the world-premiere of *Strange Sea* for orchestra with the Malmö Symphony Orchestra, October 6 2022. Photo by Håkan Kogg Röjder.

Roustom’s music has been performed by ensembles that include the BBC Symphony Orchestra, Rotterdam Philharmonic, the Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir, Minnesota Orchestra, Boston Symphony Orchestra, San Francisco Symphony Orchestra, New York Philharmonic, Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, Pittsburgh Symphony, Boulez Ensemble, Oregon Symphony, Orchestre Symphonique de Mulhouse, The Crossing choir, Lorelei Ensemble, A Far Cry, and at renowned festivals and halls such as the BBC Proms, the Salzburg Festival, the Lucerne Festival, Carnegie Hall, the Verbier Festival, the Pierre Boulez Saal in Berlin, the Teatro Colon in Buenos Aires, and others. Roustom has been composer-in-residence with the Grand Teton Music Festival, the Grant Park Music Festival, the Württembergische Philharmonie Reutlingen, and the Mannheim Philharmonic.

Roustom has received commissions from the Malmö Symphony Orchestra (Sweden), the Dallas Symphony Orchestra, the Grand Teton Music Festival (2018 & 2023 seasons), the Grant Park Music Festival, the Daniel Barenboim Stiftung (2013, 2015, & 2017), the Pierre Boulez Saal, the Royal Philharmonic Society & Sadler’s Wells Theatre (U.K.), A Far Cry & Lorelei Ensemble and others. Roustom’s music has also been recorded by the Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester (Berlin), and the Philharmonia Orchestra (London). Current projects include a Trumpet Concerto on commission from the Düsseldorfer Symphoniker (May 2025 premiere), a solo piano work for pianist Garrick Ohlsson, and trio for harp, flute, and viola commissioned by the Dallas Symphony Orchestra harpist, Emily Levin. Roustom is also finalizing a chamber music album featuring the Balourdet Quartet to be released on Phenotypic Recordings in 2025.

Teaching the six-beat ‘Sudaasi dabke’ dance steps to maestro Kalujste in Tallinn, Estonia.

The Chicago Tribune wrote that Roustom is “a gifted and accomplished artist, one of the most prominent active Arab-American composers,” BBC Radio3 described Roustom’s music as “among the most distinctive to have emerged from the Middle East”, and The New York Times described it as “propulsive, colorful and immediately appealing.” The Guardian (London) wrote that Roustom’s music is “arrestingly quirky and postmodern…music with lots of personality.” Roustom holds the position of Professor of the Practice at Tufts University’s Department of Music in Boston. Roustom’s awards include an Emmy nomination and an Aaron Copland House Residency Award.

Kareem Roustom with Daniel Barenboim and the West-Eastern Divan Orchestra after the performance of Ramal at the Salzburg Festival August 22nd, 2014. (Photo by Manuel Vaca)

*At Abbey Road Studios in London prior to an orchestral recording session.*

Selected Commissions:

Düsseldorfer Symphoniker (2024 – 25); Malmö Symphony Orchestra (2022); Dallas Symphony Orchestra (2021); Shobana Jeyasingh Dance & the Royal Philharmonic Society (2022 & 2025); Pierre Boulez Saal (2019); Daniel Barenboim Stiftung (2104, 2015 & 2019); Grand Teton Music Festival (2023 & 2018); Grant Park Music Festival (2019); Württembergische Philharmonie Ruetlingen (2020); Kronos Quartet & Community MusicWorks (2013); A Far Cry string orchestra & Lorelei Ensemble (2019); The Peabody Institute at Johns Hopkins University (2021): The Crossing Choir & Al-Bustan Ensemble, & Pew Center for Arts & Heritage (2015); Chamber Music at Napa Valley (2026); The Philadelphia Orchestra Education & Outreach (2007); Apple Hill String Quartet, co-commissioned by the Hopkins Center, Arizona State University Gammage, & Apple Hill Center for Chamber Music (2013); The Landmarks Orchestra (2018); Boston Children’s Chorus (2007); Michigan Philharmonic (2016)

Selected Performances/Festivals/Venues:

Royal Liverpool Philharmonic/Ensemble 10:10 (2025); Frankfurt Radio Symphony (2025); Düsseldorfer Symphoniker (2025); NDR Elbphilharmonie (2023); Manitoba Chamber Orchestra (2023); Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra (2022); Malmö Symphony Orchestra (2022); San Francisco Symphony (2022); Oregon Symphony (2021); Mannheimer Philharmoniker (2021); Dallas Symphony Orchestra (2021); Boston Symphony Orchestra (2021); Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra (2021); BBC Symphony Orchestra (2019); New York Philharmonic (2019); Grand Teton Music Festival (2016, 2018, 2023); Grant Park Music Festival (2017, 2019); Minnesota Orchestra (2018, 2020, 2023); Württembergische Philharmonie (2018, 2019, 2020); Sphinx Virtuosi (2018 US tour); Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester (Berlin recording session 2018); Deutsche Oper Berlin Chamber Players (2018); Chicago Youth Symphony Orchestra (2018, 2019); Cyprus Symphony (2018); Richmond Symphony (2018); The New European Ensemble (2021, 2019, 2017); Staats Theatre Kassel Orchestra (Germany, 2017); Staatsphilharmonie Nürenberg (2017); Royal Academy of Music (2017); Philharmonia Orchestra (London recording session 2016); Musée du Louvre (Paris, 2016); Fundación Juan March (Madrid, 2017); National Orchestra of Belgium (2017); Syrian Expat Philharmonic Orchestra (2017, 2016); National Academy Orchestra (Canada, 2017); Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra (2015); Malmö Opera Orchestra (2015); Verbier Festival (2015); Toledo Symphony Orchestra (2016 & 2021); West-Eastern Divan Orchestra at BBC Proms (2014), Lucerne Festival (2014), Salzburg Festival (2014) & Teatro Colon (Buenos Aires, 2014); Braunschweig Music Festival (2014); Rheingau Musik Festival (2014); Kronos Quartet (2013); Zaatari refugee camp (Jordan, 2013); iPalpati at Disney Hall, Los Angeles (2011); Philadelphia Orchestra Chamber Music Series (2010); Philadelphia Orchestra (2007); additional performances in Jakarta, China, Japan, Armenia, Syria, Lebanon, & Morocco.