Biography:

A native of Southern California, Riad ABDEL-GAWAD (b. 1965) has degrees in composition from Harvard University, (Ph.D. 1995) the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music, (M.M. 1990) and the University of Southern California (B.M. 1987). He studied with Luciano Berio, Klaus Huber, Bernard Rands and Frederic Rzewski.

Since graduating from Harvard, he has researched traditional art music, especially as related to theory, composition, ethnomusicology, and performance. For many years, he studied and performed with Abdo Dagher, master and legend Arab violinist who excels in the taqaseem (improvisatorial genre) of traditional Arab music. Since 2001 Mr. Abdel-Gawad's musical transcriptions have been published by International Opus in Philadelphia: The New Sufi Arab-Egyptian Art Music---Abdo Dagher, which are indigenous musical compositions, aurally transmitted first hand to Mr. Abdel-Gawad.

His works also have been broadcasted worldwide on radio, as well, he has received numerous awards, fellowships, grants, and honors including from ASCAP, the Belgian American Education Foundation, BMI, The MacDowell Colony, and the Royal Netherlands-Holland Government.

In addition to Mr. Abdel-Gawad's activities as a composer, he has performed as a violinist: at festivals; on film, television, and CD recordings; on tours, and in performances in Belgium, Denmark, Egypt, France, Germany, Holland, Italy, Spain, Switzerland, and the United States.

He has taught at Harvard University, the Akademie Schloss Solitude, (Germany) the American University in Cairo (Egypt), and Academy of Arts-Cairo, Conservatory of Music.

Honors:

2000-1 The Royal Netherlands Embassy: Contribution Grant
1997-98 Akademie Schloss Solitude; Stuttgart: one-year Artist-Scholar Stipend
1994-5 Belgian American Education Foundation: Academic Fellowship
1991-94 Harvard University Teaching Fellowships
1993 Jens Aubrey Westengard Harvard University Traveling Award
1993 ASCAP Foundation Young Composer Competition Award
1993 John Knowles Paine Harvard University Traveling Fellowship
1992 NACUSA Composition Competition Award
1992 The MacDowell Colony Fellowship
1991 Yaddo Artist Colony Fellowship
1991 ASCAP Foundation Young Composer Competition Award
1989 Aspen School of Music Fellowship
1989 BMI Student Composer Award