Current Projects
2026 – Ruba joined the Chamber Music Society of Mississauga’s Meet the Musicians program, presenting interactive sessions in schools across the Dufferin-Peel Region. Her work introduces students from Kindergarten to Grade 8 to the oud, darbuka, and Arabic musical traditions through performance, discussion, and participatory learning.
Link: CHAMBER MUSIC SOCIETY OF MISSISSAUGA
Past Projects
2025
February 2025 – Successfully acquired a sizeable grant from the Arts Council England for the Taqasim Music Foundation.
Project: The Oud Club Concert Series 2025
2024
May 2024 – A team of 4 musicians delivered a week-long series of workshops in rural primary schools in and around Knighton, Wales, UK. Students were introduced to Arabic music and rhythmic traditions through darbuka, body percussion, and hands-on activities.
Musicians: Ruba Hillawi, Ahmed Mukhtar, Camilla Saunders, and Sonia Hammond.
2023
15 July 2023 – In collaboration with the Taqasim Music Foundation. A hands-on workshop leading participants through a brief history of Arabic music, maqamaat, rhythms and musical forms presented along with a select repertoire of traditional and popular music.
2020
September 2020 – provided background music for Podcast titled “Thin Edge of the Wedge”
Podcast Link
May 2020 – Guest Speaker (online) at King’s College London.
Delivered a lecture/workshop online to 15 higher-level Arabic language learners to integrate learned language with Arabic music and culture. Most students were acquiring Arabic to facilitate them with their Masters and PhD research.
2019
November 2019 – Successfully acquired a grant from the Arts Council England for the Taqasim Music Foundation.
Project: The Oud Club Concert Series 2020
2018
May 2018 – Invited to contribute an oud performance to a BBC Travel feature and accompanying short film exploring early musical traditions and the origins of the world’s earliest known song, based on a cuneiform tablet. The project featured interpretations developed by Prof. Richard Dumbrill, with vocals performed by Sevan Habib, alongside contributions from Ruba’s performance work.
Article Link
Ruba Hillawi 