Syrian-American-Canadian Kareem Roustom is an Emmy-nominated composer and performer (on the oud) of emotionally rich, rhythmically intricate music for chamber, orchestral, choral ensembles, dance and chamber opera. Blending Middle Eastern traditions with contemporary colors, Roustom’s genre crossing collaborations include music commissioned by conductor Daniel Barenboim and the West-Eastern Divan Orchestra, the Kronos Quartet, arrangements for pop icons Shakira and Tina Turner, as well as a recent collaboration with acclaimed British choreographer Shobana Jeyasingh. Roustom has been composer-in-residence at the Grant Park Music Festival in Chicago, the Grand Teton Music Festival in Wyoming, and with the Württembergische Philharmonie Reutlingen in Germany and the Mannheim Philharmonic.  A musically bi-lingual composer, Roustom is rooted in the music of the Arab near-east but his music often expresses beyond the confines of tradition. The themes of a number of his works often touch issues of those affected by war and instability, as well as themes of spirituality.