Youssef Laktina (b. 1996, Damaskus, Syria) is a Mannheim-based multi-percussionist from who has been living in Germany since 2016. He draws on Indian, Turkish, Persian and Arabic traditions and combines them with modern innovations to create a highly technical, melodic and rhythmic style. Youssef plays and tours with various projects such as ‘Bridges Musik Verbindet-Frankfurt’ and ‘Colourage Ensemble- Deutsche Staatsphilharmonie Rheinland Pfalz’. Youssef is the winner of ‘The framedrum artist 2022’ and is working on shining the light on these instruments and their possibilities.
Cham Saloum (b. 1996, Shahba - As Swaida, Syria) is a Berlin-based oud player, composer, singer, and musician whose work blends the musical traditions of the SWANA region with contemporary influences including jazz, electronic, and experimental music. She studied at the Arabic Oud House under Schrine Tohamy and Naseer Shamma, graduating in 2015 before moving to Germany.
Since then, she has performed as a solo artist and with ensembles and orchestras across Europe, including the Syrian Ornina Orchestra, Bridges – Music Connects, Babylon Orchestra, Liberty Orchestra Project, and Trickster Orchestra. A graduate of the World Music program (B.A., 2021), Cham creates music that explores identity, migration, and cultural connection through the expressive unique bass-rich voice of her oud. She is currently active in Berlin and throughout Europe as a performer, composer, and collaborator.
Laila Mahmoud (Laila Ta-Mah, b. 1990, Tartus, Syria) is a qanun player, singer, and composer. After studying Arabic music in Homs and continuing her education at the Popakademie Mannheim, she developed a distinctive musical language that blends the traditions of Arabic maqam music with influences from pop, jazz, classical music, flamenco, and other genres.
Through her compositions and improvisations, Laila brings together diverse musical traditions and contemporary forms of expression. She is dedicated to expanding the artistic possibilities of the qanun, highlighting its versatility in today's musical landscape while creating new spaces for collaboration and shared musical experiences.
Jonathan Sell (b. 1982s a double bass and electric bass player whose work spans jazz, rock, blues, Arabic maqam, and Indian raga. His artistic approach embraces musical diversity, creating a transcultural sound world that connects global musical traditions beyond stylistic boundaries. Drawn to the bass from an early age, he is inspired by its depth, warmth, and power. His double bass sound is broad and woody, while his electric bass playing is shaped by his affinity for the 1960s Fender Precision Bass. His work brings together musical traditions from Arabic, Turkish, Persian, and Indian cultures with Western elements such as polyphony, counterpoint, and jazz improvisation, forming a unified artistic language. He has performed internationally at venues including the Royal Opera House Muscat, Festival International de Hammamet, the International Music Centre Ashram in Varanasi, and the “Musiksalon Welt” series at the Mannheim National Theatre.
Simon Bernstein is a percussionist and principal timpanist of the Deutsche Staatsphilharmonie Rheinland-Pfalz, a position he has held since 2013. He studied at the University of Music and Performing Arts Frankfurt and the University of Music Trossingen, graduating in 2014, and previously served as principal timpanist of the Philharmonie Südwestfalen. As an orchestral musician and soloist, Simon has performed in many of Europe's leading concert halls with renowned orchestras, conductors, and soloists. He is also a founding member of the percussion ensemble Repercussion, with which he regularly performs throughout Germany, alongside solo appearances with orchestras including the Düsseldorfer Sinfoniker, Kammerphilharmonie Frankfurt, Philharmonie Südwestfalen, and Deutsche Staatsphilharmonie Rheinland-Pfalz.