Malek Jandali

Hailed by BBC WorldNews as “an acclaimed pianist”, the music of German born, Syrian-American composer and pianist Malek Jandali has been described as “moving and thought provoking” by Bob Stevenson of NPR and “inspiring” by the Huffington Post.

Malek’s hit album “Echoes from Ugarit” was recorded in Moscow with The Russian Philharmonic Orchestra and released in 2008. It includes original compositions based on the oldest music notation in the world discovered on a clay tablet in the ancient Mediterranean city of Ugarit. His 2012 album “Emessa” has received critical acclaim in major newspapers and is “hauntingly beautiful” according to The Stream AJ America.

Malek was the recipient of the 2011 “Freedom of Expression” award in Los Angeles and was recognized in New York City with the 2012 Arab-American Cultural Achievement Award. He was honored with the 2013 GUSI Peace Prize for his dedication to peace and the humanitarian causes featured in his 2013-2014 world tour “The Voice of the Free Syrian Children”. Malek was the recipient of the 2014 Global Music Humanitarian Award and in 2015, The Carnegie Corporation of New York honored him as a Great Immigrant, joining the ranks of other great American immigrants such as Yo-Yo Ma, Itzhak Perlman and Ambassador Samantha Power.

Malek is a magna cum laude graduate of Queens College and received his MBA from The University of North Carolina. In addition to his demanding tour schedule, he is a strong advocate for peace and human rights. He is the founder of Pianos for Peace, a non-profit organization dedicated to building peace through music and education and embraces young talent through the Malek Jandali International Youth Piano Competition.