BILAL IRSHED Bilal Irshed is a Danish/Palestinian composer and oud virtuoso. He is recognized for having his own unique interpretation of Middle Eastern music, as well as an elegant style of playing the oud. Bilal is further known for his own bands, Bilal Irshed Trio and The Fifth String Ensemble, as well as other ensembles and projects.
Bilal was born and raised in the village of Daburiyya in the northern Galilee. At the age of 13, he started playing the oud, and after finishing high school, he moved to Jerusalem to study music at the Academy for Music and Dance.
He joined the Arabic Music Orchestra of Nazareth in 2002, with whom he toured and performed at many international venues and music festivals in Europe.
In 2006, he moved to Zanzibar, where he worked as a music teacher and artistic director at the Dhow Countries Music Academy. He then moved to Denmark in 2008, where he has since developed a very successful music career.
In 2011, Bilal released two albums: Compositions with Bilal Irshed Trio and The Fifth String with The Fifth String Ensemble. In 2015, he released two more albums: Chronotope with Bilal Irshed Trio and Ineffable with Bilal Irshed & Global Tunes.
In 2024, Bilal Irshed was awarded the prestigious Wilhelm Hansen Honorary Award, recognizing his outstanding contributions to music and his unique artistic expression.