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UD Festival
The sixth edition of UD Festival will take place between 3 and 22 November 2026. A festival entirely dedicated to the ud, the instrument that forms the musical bridge between East and West. The ud once made a long journey from Baghdad to Andalusia, and formed the base of a musical revolution in the West.
Why the ud? Rich in tone and versatile in its possibilities, the ud (also spelled oud) has influenced musical traditions around the globe, and is the perfect catalyst for conversation, cooperation and experiment between musicians across cultures today.
The provisional line-up for 2026 is now online!
Please note that this programme, the exact line-up and start times are still subject to change in the run-up to the festival.
SOLD OUT - Preview UD Festival - Muziekgebouw, Amsterdam
In this terrace concert, we’ll get a sneak preview of the UD Festival. On stage is a quartet featuring the Greek ud player Nikos Avgoustidis and the Syrian-Dutch clarinettist Ghaeth Almagooth, together with musicians of the Amsterdam Andalusian Orchestra. They give the audience a wonderful insight into the versatility of the ud, the instrument that builds a musical bridge between East and West. With its rich sound and countless possibilities, the ud (also known as the oud) has influenced musical traditions across the globe and today serves as the perfect catalyst for collaboration between musicians from different cultures.
About Nikos Avgoustidis
Nikos Avgoustidis is an oud player and multi-instrumentalist whose musical journey began at the age of five with the guitar. Ten years later, he discovered the oud. Largely self-taught, he was already performing with leading artists in Greece by the age of 22. He studied at Codarts, and his musical development has been shaped in part by influential ud players including Ara Dinkjian, Hamza El Din, Munir Bashir and Riad Al-Sunbati. Nikos has contributed to various albums and collaborated with artists such as Michalis Kouloumis, Efren Lopez, Christos Barbas, Ruven Rupik and, during this concert, with Ghaeth Almagooth. His interests include Arabic, Turkish and Greek folk music, and in his playing he emphasises the expressive power of every note. In doing so, he showcases the emotional and melodic richness of the maqam.
About Ghaeth Almagooth
Ghaeth Almagooth is a Syrian-Dutch clarinettist, composer and improviser. He took up the clarinet at the age of 21 and moved to the Netherlands in 2015, where he continued to develop his musical career after fleeing Syria. In 2022, he completed his Master’s degree at Codarts Rotterdam, specialising in ethnomusicology.
His music blends Middle Eastern traditions with influences from the Balkans and jazz. With a warm, expressive tone and a strong focus on improvisation and storytelling, he creates compelling concerts in which each performance tells a unique musical story.
Ghaeth performs with, amongst others, DAFA Trio, Arifa, Alwan, Madaba, L’Chaim and Dyar Band. He has given concerts in Europe, North Africa, Asia and Mexico and has collaborated with renowned musicians and ensembles, including the New York Gypsy All Stars, Ross Daly, the Amsterdam Andalusian Orchestra, Kudsi Erguner, Alex Simu, the Netherlands Blazers Ensemble and Ellen ten Damme.
About Ruven Rupik
Ruven is a multi-percussionist who has mastered various musical styles ranging from flamenco to Balkan music, and Arab and Northern Indian classical music.
Preview UD Festival - Erasmuspark, Amsterdam
The Cello & the Ud - Muziekgebouw, Amsterdam
Ud Festival x Cello Biënnale (Anwar Saidi en Omar Lazrek - A tribute to Said Chraibi , the King of the Eud
The Cello and the Ud
The Amsterdam Cello Biennale and the Ud Festival are joining forces to celebrate two exceptional musicians who have masterfully blended Arab and Western traditions. What makes this programme so special is that the cello – originally a Western instrument – draws inspiration from the timeless compositions of Said Chraibi, music that has, until now, been performed almost exclusively on the ud. The concert pays tribute to Chraibi, the king of the ud, ten years after his death.
Together with musicians from the Amsterdam Andalusian Orchestra, cellist Anwar Saidi and ud player Omar Lazrak present a programme featuring compositions by Chraibi himself and new original works spanning from Granada to Baghdad.
Nizar Rohana Trio - Concertgebouw, Amsterdam
Nizar Rohana Trio - Sijthof Cultuur, Leiden
Hossein Behroozinia - De Regentes, Den Haag
Dagprogramma: Kapitein Ud, lezingen en workshops - Meervaart, Amsterdam
Nawras Altaky Septet – Meervaart Amsterdam
OUM, Concertgebouw, Amsterdam
UD Concours - Day 1 (participants only)
UD Concours Jam Session
On the first day of the UD Concours, a festive jam session will be held at MAQAM. This jam session will be open to all participants of the UD Concours and other professional and amateur musicians ánd music lovers. Registration is required and will open in the run-up to the concours.
Foto: Shot by Meesterwerk
UD Concours - Day 2 (participants only)
UD Concours - Day 3 - Grand Final
21 november - Grand Final Ud Concours - Muziekgebouw, Amsterdam
The Ud Competition will be held for the second time in 2026. During this competition, talented ud players from the Netherlands and abroad, aged between 16 and 35, will compete for the Saïd Chraibi Prize, named after the legendary Moroccan ud player. The participants will be judged by a panel of renowned ud masters. The grand Final will take place between 14.00 - 17.00 at Muziekgebouw ('Kleine Zaal').
Foto: Shot by Meesterwerk
Waed Bouhessoun X AAO - Muziekgebouw, Amsterdam
expo: Beyond the Mare Magnum
‘Beyond the Mare Magnum’ reveals how the ud took on new musical forms and how its influence felt in different worlds, from Yemen to Persia and from Turkey to Al-Andalus. At times you can hear the soul of sub-Saharan Africa; at times the refinement of the Abbasid court. Different Dutch ud musicians take you on a journey to the various corners of the globe where the ud found anchor and left a profound imprint.
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Explore ud masters around the world
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