Bakr Khleifi

Bakr Khleifi, born in Jerusalem, began his musical education at a very young age. At the age of four he started studying the violin, before turning to the oud at six. He studied with several distinguished oud masters, including Ahmad al‑Khatib, Simon Shaheen, and Samir Joubran. His musical development later expanded to the double bass; the inspiration for this came after attending the West‑Eastern Divan Orchestra, founded by Edward Said and Daniel Barenboim, initially as a listener. He subsequently joined the orchestra himself as a double bass player. After completing secondary school, Bakr Khleifi continued his studies with his first mentor Ahmad al‑Khatib and earned a bachelor’s degree in World Music with a specialization in oud at the University of Gothenburg. During his studies there, he was closely exposed to a range of other musical traditions, including Persian and North Indian music. Over several years, he was a member of the West‑Eastern Divan Orchestra and performed in major international concert halls such as Carnegie Hall, Teatro La Scala, the Berlin Philharmonie, and the Royal Albert Hall.