Taqasim School
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Our teachers

Meet the masters of the Mukhtar Method.

School / Teachers

The people who teach here.

The school is led by Ahmed Mukhtar and taught by a small team of practising musicians. Every teacher on this page has trained under the Mukhtar Method and plays the instrument they teach.

Ahmed Mukhtar with his oud at the school, London.
Featured teacher

Founding Director

Ahmed Mukhtar

Oud · Arabic Music Theory · Percussion

Born in Baghdad, Mukhtar has played the oud and Arabic percussion since 1979. He studied at the Institute of Fine Arts in Baghdad under masters Ghanim Haddad and Jameel Jerjis, worked with Arabic orchestras, and performed on Iraqi TV throughout the 1980s.

He completed an MA Diploma at the London College of Music in 1999 and a Masters in Performance from SOAS in 2003. He founded the school in 2011 to make the oud teachable in groups — properly — to adult students with no prior background in Arabic music.

Credentials

  • — MA Performance — SOAS, University of London, 2003
  • — MA Diploma — London College of Music, 1999
  • — First artist from the Middle East selected by ARC International for "World Music for War Child", 2015
  • — Alhambra Award, 2009

Roles

  • — Founder and Director, Taqasim School
  • — Teaching at SOAS, the University of London
  • — Musical Programs Director, Al-Fayha (Iraqi television)
Ahmed Mukhtar — amukhtar.com
Ruba Hillawi performing on oud at a concert, London.

Ruba Hillawi

Oud · Arabic Music Theory

An Iraqi academic born in Sharjah, U.A.E., Ruba grew up immersed in Arabic music before beginning the oud in earnest. In 2015, while teaching in London, she began studying under Ahmed Mukhtar. The oud became — in her words — a way to connect to a homeland she had not experienced first-hand.

As an educator with over ten years of professional experience, she has consistently encouraged cultural exchange through music. At Taqasim she teaches both oud and Arabic music theory.

Credentials
  • MA Music — SOAS, University of London, 2023
  • MA Cultural Studies — SOAS, University of London, 2017
  • Hons BEd Primary Education — University of Western Ontario, 2011
Ignacio Lusardi Monteverde with his oud.

Ignacio Lusardi Monteverde

Oud · Arabic Music Theory

A flamenco guitarist, producer and recording engineer based in London. Musician of the Year at the Latin UK Awards 2019. He holds a Doctorate from J H Pestalozzi University, is an Honorary Fellow of the North and Midlands School of Music, and a Fellow of the Guild of Musicians and Singers.

His recordings have been released on Nonclassical, Orpheus, ARC Music, Naxos and Orchid Classics, and include work at Abbey Road Studios. He has collaborated closely with Ahmed Mukhtar in performance and has taught oud at Taqasim since joining the school.

Roles

  • Co-founder, London Strings Festival
  • Live appearances on BBC Radio 3, Mumbai NCPA, London Festival of Baroque Music
  • Collaborations with the Royal College of Music and the Guildhall School
Saife Al-Naffakh playing oud at a concert.

Saife Al-Naffakh

Oud

Born in Baghdad, Iraq, Saife has had a lifelong passion for Arabic music. He studied classical music theory between 1996 and 1997 before beginning oud lessons in 2009, which covered Arabic scales (Maqamat) and solfege. He has participated in many musical events and contributed to discussions about Iraqi and Arabic music.

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