Salman Shukur

Salman Shukur was born in Baghdad and became one of the foremost disciples of the Turkish master Sharif Muhiddin Haydar at the Institute of Fine Arts. Combining classical Ottoman instrumental rigor with the deep modal microtonality of the Iraqi maqam, he developed a distinctive, poetic approach to solo oud performance.

Shukur served as professor and head of the oriental music department at the Baghdad Institute of Fine Arts for decades, educating generations of virtuosos. In the 1970s and 1980s, he taught and recorded widely in Britain, introducing Western audiences to the contemplative spirituality of classical Iraqi lute music.