Biography
My name is Alaa Salah Eddine, and I am a professional percussionist, composer, and music educator based in Leipzig, Germany.
My musical journey began in Syria at the age of eight with the Darbuka. What started as a childhood passion has grown into more than two decades of artistic exploration, international performance, teaching, and cultural exchange. Throughout my career, I have dedicated myself to discovering rhythm as a universal language that connects people across cultures and traditions.
Today, my artistic work combines the rich traditions of Arabic, Middle Eastern, North African, and Latin percussion with contemporary jazz, world music, improvisation, and intercultural collaboration. A central focus of my artistic research is the integration of Konnakol—the South Indian language of rhythm—into Arabic rhythmic traditions, creating new possibilities for performance, composition, and music education. I hold a Bachelor's degree in World Music from the Popakademie Baden-Württemberg in Mannheim and I am currently completing my Master's degree in Jazz/Popular Music (Percussion) at the Hochschule für Musik und Theater Leipzig.
One of the most valuable aspects of my artistic journey has been the opportunity to study with some of the world's leading percussionists and rhythm masters. Through masterclasses, workshops, and intensive artistic exchange, I have had the privilege of learning from internationally renowned musicians including Itamar Doari, Zohar Fresco, Murat Coşkun, Feras Hassan, Aleix Tobias, and Glen Velez. Their artistic vision and unique approaches to rhythm have profoundly influenced my musical language, teaching philosophy, and artistic development.
Over the years, I have performed with orchestras, ensembles, and artists across Europe, the Middle East, and Asia. My concert activity has taken me to Germany, Syria, Lebanon, Turkey, Spain, France, the Netherlands, and China. I regularly perform in productions at the Gewandhaus Leipzig and have also appeared at the Berliner Philharmonie, the Beijing Opera House, and the Encuentro Festival in Barcelona. These experiences have allowed me to collaborate with musicians from a wide variety of artistic traditions while continually expanding my own musical perspective.
Alongside my concert career, music education has become one of the defining aspects of my artistic identity. For more than eight years, I have taught percussion to children, teenagers, and adults from diverse cultural backgrounds. My experience includes teaching in schools, cultural institutions, community projects, refugee initiatives, and inclusive educational settings involving people with disabilities.
As an educator, I have developed my own teaching methodology and curriculum for Darbuka, Riq, and Daf. My approach combines traditional techniques with contemporary pedagogical methods, emphasizing rhythm, creativity, improvisation, ensemble playing, listening skills, and musical expression. I believe that rhythm education should not only develop technical ability but also encourage confidence, communication, and artistic freedom.
In addition to performing and teaching, I actively create and lead artistic and educational projects that bring communities together through rhythm and music. I am the founder and artistic director of Let's Groove, Rhythm Club, and Frauen & Rahmentrommel, as well as the leader of an ongoing rhythm course in Berlin that has been running successfully for the past two years. Several of my artistic and educational projects have received public funding, including support from the Kulturamt Leipzig.
For me, rhythm is much more than technique—it is communication, identity, creativity, and human connection. Whether performing on stage, teaching in the classroom, or leading community projects, my goal is to inspire people through music, build bridges between cultures, and create meaningful artistic experiences where tradition, innovation, and human connection come together.