“One of the most impressive musicians to emerge in Australia … with a dazzling technique dispensing hair-raising tempos… His writing displays a real depth of emotion …revelling in a zest for life and celebration.” – THE AUSTRALIAN NEWSPAPER
Joseph Tawadros AM is a leading Oud virtuoso, composer and 8 time ARIA-award winner. Born in Cairo, his chosen instrument, the Oud is an Arabic lute, the ancestor of the lute and modern guitar.
A virtuoso of diversity and sensitivity, Joseph performs in concert halls worldwide and is known for his brilliant technique, deep musicianship, storytelling and joyous style of performance. Joseph’s drive to push musical boundaries has inspired collaborations with diverse performers and a solid repertoire of innovative, original music.
He performs live as a soloist, in duo with his brother James on Egyptian percussion, with his jazz quartet or with chamber orchestras and symphony orchestras all over the world.
Joseph has performed his own works with the Australian Chamber Orchestra, BBC Symphony, Melbourne Symphony, Western Australian Symphony, Adelaide Symphony, Ukraine National Orchestra, Camerata Salzburg, the Morphing Chamber Orchestra. His ground-breaking Concerto for Oud & Orchestra was performed with the Sydney Symphony and recorded and released by ABC Classics in 2019.
Joseph was the first and only Australian composer whose work was performed by the Academy of Ancient Music in the United Kingdom in 2015.
He has recorded his music with many US jazz luminaries such as John Abercrombie, Jack de Johnette, Roy Ayers, John Patitucci, Bela Fleck, Mike Stern, Joey DeFrancesco, Richard Bona and Christian McBride.
Classical collaborations include Richard Tognetti, William Barton, The Grigoryan Brothers, Christian Lindberg, Gurrumul, James Crabb and his songs have been performed/recorded by The Song Company and Andreas Scholl.
His distinctive oud-playing can also be heard in films and TV such as Ali’s Wedding, The Last Days of Yasser Arafat, Paper Giants, I Remember 1948, The Water Diviner, Checkpoint, The Tentmakers of Cairo, All About E, Love Marriage in Kabul, The Portal, Haneen, The Black Balloon, The Transfer, Memory Film; a Filmakers Diary, House of Cards and The Last Ride starring Hugo Weaving.
2023 highlights include performing at the opening of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland and the premiere of his innovative new work The Three Stages of Hindsight with the prestigious Britten Sinfonia.
He has performed several sell-out Australian tours with the Australian Chamber Orchestra led by Richard Tognetti – the most recent in 2023.
Joseph is also one of the 50 Australian composers chosen to write a fanfare celebrating the Sydney Opera House’s 50th birthday.
Joseph was awarded the Member of the Order of Australia for services to music in 2016.
Doors open 7pm. Music starts 8.30pm. The venue is mixed seated and standing. Tables are limited, and available on a first come first served basis, so if you’d like a seat, we recommend arriving early!
