Akram Abdulfattah was born in New Brunswick, New Jersey, and later moved with his family to Kawkab Abu al-Hija in the Galilee. Growing up in a musical household, he played the darbuka the oud at an early age, following his father’s deep passion for music. He later discovered the Arabic violin at a conservatory near his village. The experience led him to explore its expressive and technical possibilities in depth to this day.
Over time, Abdulfattah gravitated toward the six-string violin, which reminded him of the low range of the oud. The six-string violin supports his musical vision by letting him play the low notes of the cello and the high notes of the violin. Akram Abdulfattah’s playing style can be described as highly expressive and improvisational. At Abdulfattah’s performances each of his world-class musicians carries a vital role with bass solos, drum solos and keyboard solos augmenting the jazz side of his music.
The limited resources and infrastructure of the Palestinian musical landscape presented challenges to Abdulfattah. But at the same time, the culturally rich and diverse musical environment of the Galilee played a significant role in shaping his artistic development. Abdulfattah has stated that through multi-cultural musical experiences he could reach a state of inner peace. He also believes that those cooperations prove that we are all human and can share a lot both on-stage and off-stage. His artistic vision is not only an expression of music but also a statement that his music can bring people from different backgrounds together.
Some of Akram Abdulfattah’s notable achievements include:
- Official Shortlist – Jazzahead! 2026 (Bremen, Germany), one of Europe’s leading international jazz industry showcases.
- Official Showcase Selection – WOMEX 2025 (World Music Expo, Tampere, Finland), the world’s largest international networking event for world music professionals.
- First Prize – Palestinian National Competition (Jerusalem, 2012).
- First Prize – Palestinian National Music Competition for Ensembles (Ramallah, 2012).
- First Prize – Palestinian “On Stage” Competition for Ensembles (Ramallah, 2012).
- First Prize – Marcel Khalife Competition (Jerusalem, 2008).
- Second Prize – Marcel Khalife Competition (Jerusalem, 2006).
- Founder of one of the youngest Palestinian musical quartets (Awan), earning early national and international recognition for the ensemble.
- BBC 6 Music – “Beat of the Week” recognition for one of his cross-cultural releases.
- 4-star review from Songlines magazine for his album “Abu Kenda”.
