Joseph Tawadros

His family emigrated from Egypt to Australia when he was three.[3] Initially attracted to the trumpet, he decided to learn the oud when he was eight, after seeing a movie about Egyptian musician Sayed Darwish.[4] He is classically trained, having completed a bachelor of music at the University of New South Wales, where he was awarded a Freedman Fellowship for Classical Music.[3] In the 2000s, he also studied in Egypt with violin player Esawi Dagher, son of the legendary violin player Abdo Dagher. During the years that followed, he spent three months a year in Egypt and learned to play other instruments: the bamboo flute nay, the Arabic zither qanun and the cello.[4]

At the ARIA Music Awards of 2012, he won the ARIA Music Awards for the Best World Music Album.[5] He won the same award again in 2013 and 2014.

Joseph Tawadros’ style could be described as eclectic. According to Sydney Morning Herald, "he has taken the oud out of its traditional Middle Eastern setting and into the realm of classical music and jazz".[3] "I don't like to play in a particulare genre, I love all sorts of music", Tawadros explains. "I try to record an album a year and one that's totally different from the previous album".[6] He has collaborated with musicians such as John Abercrombie, Jack DeJohnette, Roy Ayers, Bela Fleck, Joey DeFrancesco, the Australian Chamber Orchestra and The Academy of Ancient Music.

Joseph Tawadros plays 52 instruments on his album World Music (including oud, qanun, saz, violin, ney, Portuguese guitar, electric bass, kalimba and accordion) and his brother James 11 percussion instruments.[7]

• Copts in Australia
• List of oud players

• Official website
• Interview and highlights of a concert in Sarajevo Jazz Festival 2011