Layth Sidiq

Biography
Born in Iraq and raised in Jordan, Layth picked up the violin at the age of four and started his musical training at the National Music Conservatory with Timur Ibrahmiov, and later at the Chetham’s School of Music in Manchester/UK.
Upon graduation, Layth moved to Boston to pursue his college education at the Berklee College of Music where he received a full-tuition scholarship and graduated with a bachelor degree and recently obtained his masters degree from the Berklee Global Jazz Institute where he was mentored by artist such as Danilo Perez, John Patitucci, Terri Lyne Carrington, Joe Lovano and Marco Pignataro.
During his life, Layth had the honor of performing all around the world as well as working with many acclaimed artists, including Simon Shaheen, Jack Dejohnette, Jose Merce, Shankar Mahadevan, Javier Limon, Gary Burton and A.R Rahman, to name a few.
He has also performed both as a leader and as a sideman in venues like the Boston Symphony Hall, the Kennedy Center, the Concertgebouw hall, the Royal Albert Hall and the Royal Festival Hall, as well as the Abu Dhabi festival, the Dominican Republic Jazz Festival and the premier of his original compositions at the Montreal Jazz Festival with his sextet.
Layth is now based in Boston where he currently directs the Arab music ensemble at Tufts University as well as being a sough-after violinist and composer in the US and abroad. Layth’s first solo album ‘Son of Tigris’ is set to be released in the next coming weeks which is made up of his original compositions bringing together elements from Iraqi music and Jazz.
SON OF TIGRIS
A five movement suite composed by Layth Sidiq that brings together the two profound and expansive worlds of traditional Iraqi music and Jazz.
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ORIGINAL QUARTET
More than 1,000 years ago, the most important and influential cultures of the West; the Greco-Roman, Arab, Jewish Sephardic and the culture of the gypsies of India gathered in a land called Andalusia. There they created one of the most important musical movements of our era, flamenco. However, Andalusia was not only the birthplace of flamenco but also of Pablo Picasso and the great Spanish poet Federico Garcia Lorca and the influences of flamenco and the culture of Andalusia are seen throughout their work.
In this show Original Quartet explores the roots of this music, their differences and commonalities. OQ is made up of 4 new stars of world music and representing these four cultures, Spanish guitarist, composer and multi-Grammy winner Javier Limon, Iraqi violinist and singer Layth Sidiq, Israeli recorder player and singer Tali Rubinstein and Indian vocalist Shilpa Anath. The repertoire includes old poems and songs from Iraq, Sephardi compositions and Indian traditional pieces, as well as modern compositions created specifically for this project.
QAWSAAN
Qawsaan (two bows) is a contemporary string duo hailing from the Middle East featuring the violin and the cello in an approach that has never been heard before.

Palestinian cellist Naseem Alatrash and Iraqi/Jordanian violinist Layth Sidiq are graduates of Berklee College of Music and have been playing together for more than 10 years! They have toured the world together, playing in orchestras and chamber ensembles and right now, as a duo. Their aim is to use the exciting combination of violin/cello and combine different styles of music, shattering stylistic stereotypes through improvisation, original compositions and arrangements.

''Bringing Layth and Naseem together on stage results in a passionate performance that combines deep musical traditional influenced by Arabic and Western classical music and contemporary jazz, in an association which highlights their unique instrumental skills. Their music is an exceptional experience for any listener.''
(Berklee Mediterranean Institute)
The Four Corners Quartet
“Four players sit at the corners of a round table
Back to back they face one and another
Draw their instruments and play for each other.”

Celebrating their own identities whilst exploring each others, The Four Corners Quartet are a contemporary string quartet originating from Palestine, Jordan, UK, and USA. They captivate audiences by shattering impressions of traditional music. Combining their unique musical upbringings, they converse through middle-eastern, jazz, western classical, and American-folk styles.

They present new perspectives on their own traditions, sensitively spun with virtuoso improvisations, extend techniques, and colorful storytelling.

Founded in 2013 at Berklee College of Music, Layth Al-Rubaye, Ellen Melissa Story, Alliz Nicholas, and Naseem Alatrash represent an exceptional new generation of young musicians who are inspiring a change in cultural perceptions through music. Be assured, you will have never heard this before.

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Violinist

Biography

SON OF TIGRIS

A five movement suite composed by Layth Sidiq that brings together the two profound and expansive worlds of traditional Iraqi music and Jazz.

ORIGINAL QUARTET

QAWSAAN

The Four Corners Quartet

Layth's upcoming events.

COMING SOON!

Social Media

Booking

Book Layth for an event, concert or a lesson.