Rivers of Culture for Modern Mesopotamia- with Sawsan Al-Rawe on Accordion – Saturday January 31st 2026

The Uruk Chamber Music Group was founded as an extension of the enduring influence of the Baghdad School of Music and Ballet—an institution that shaped generations of musicians who carried with them the spirit of Baghdad wherever they went—the idea for the Uruk Chamber Music Group was born as a space where these artists, scattered by geography yet united by memory, identity, and music, could come together. The group was established under the patronage of Rivers of Culture for Modern Mesopotamia Foundation, led by its founder Dr. Layth Lutfy Delaimy, who sought to sustain and create a cultural and artistic framework connecting Iraqi intellectuals and musicians in the diaspora, giving them a platform to express the beauty of contemporary Mesopotamian heritage through a universal musical language. The group’s vision is to revive classical Iraqi music with a renewed spirit, presenting musical programmes that blend global masterpieces with authentic Iraqi works, weaving together collective memory and artistic innovation. Thus, Uruk has become not merely a musical ensemble, but a bridge linking past and present, nostalgia and creativity, Iraq and the world. Within the ensemble is Sawsan Al-Rawe on accordion. She holds a Diploma in Accordion from the School of Music and Ballet in Baghdad, and a Master’s degree from the Gnessin Academy in Moscow. She taught accordion at the School of Music and Ballet for 10 years.  See the list of other artists here: https://www.riversofculture.org/artists