Soloist Spotlight: Pianist Saleem Ashkar Brings Passion and Power to the Accordi Musicali International Music Festival
Renowned pianist Saleem Ashkar will perform at the 2025 Accordi Musicali International Music Festival, bringing his celebrated interpretations of Beethoven and wide-ranging international experience. A former Carnegie Hall prodigy, Ashkar collaborates with top orchestras and conductors worldwide and leads the Galilee Chamber Orchestra, uniting Arab and Jewish musicians through music.
Prepare to be swept away this summer by the spellbinding sounds of the Accordi Musicali International Music Festival, returning to the picturesque cities of Chieti and Pescara from July 31 to August 12, 2025. Under the inspired guidance of Composer-in-Residence Alexey Shor, this acclaimed festival offers an irresistible celebration of classical music, showcasing leading international artists in unforgettable performances.
Among the luminaries set to perform is celebrated pianist Saleem Ashkar, whose dazzling technique and profound musicality have won him acclaim on the world stage. Ashkar made his Carnegie Hall debut at just 22 years old, launching a vibrant international career that continues to flourish across the world’s most prestigious concert halls.
Ashkar’s recent and upcoming appearances include engagements with the Bamberger Symphoniker, Orchestre National de Lyon, Gävle Symphony Orchestra, Orquesta de Valencia, Konzerthaus Orchestra, Brussels Philharmonic, Polish National Radio Symphony Orchestra, and Copenhagen Philharmonic. In 2021, he captivated audiences in Germany with the Kammerakademie Potsdam, performing Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 2 and premiering a new concerto by David Coleman.
His remarkable orchestral collaborations have featured performances with the Wiener Philharmoniker, London Symphony Orchestra, Deutsche Symphonie-Orchester Berlin, Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, and numerous leading ensembles in North America, Asia, and Australia. He has built close musical partnerships with world-renowned conductors including Daniel Barenboim, Riccardo Muti, Zubin Mehta, Fabio Luisi, and Nikolaj Szeps-Znaider.
A compelling chamber musician and recitalist, Ashkar is especially revered for his interpretations of Beethoven. His complete Beethoven Sonata cycles in Prague, Duisburg, and at the Konzerthaus Berlin have been met with widespread praise. Upcoming recital highlights include appearances at major venues such as Wigmore Hall in London, Elbphilharmonie Hamburg, Boulezsaal Berlin, Musikverein Vienna, and Oslo Opera House.
Beyond his performance career, Ashkar is a passionate advocate for music as a force for unity. He serves as Artistic Director of the Galilee Chamber Orchestra, which brings together Arab and Jewish musicians in Israel. Under his leadership as conductor and soloist, the orchestra made its Carnegie Hall debut in 2022 alongside violinist Joshua Bell, followed by an acclaimed European tour that included the Konzerthaus Berlin and Rheingau Festival.
His recent discography includes critically acclaimed recordings for Decca Records: the Mendelssohn Piano Concertos with Riccardo Chailly and the Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra, Beethoven Concertos with the NDR Elbphilharmonie under Ivor Bolton, and a complete cycle of Beethoven Piano Sonatas released over the past seasons.