Iraqi native and esteemed musician, Naseer Shamma, is an icon of the Arabic oud. From the mid to late 80’s, Shamma began exporting his musical culture to Europe with memorable performances such as that in Paris, Germany, Switzerland, London, and more where he was a leading maestro and eventually became the Oud master. He obtained the honor of the Iraqi artist syndicate for three consecutive years from 1988 to 1990, Best Artist in Iraq in 1994, 1998 Royal British Academy Award, the Rotterdam Arab Festival Award, and more. During his stride, he went on to launch “The Arab Oud House” with its first establishment in Cairo in 1999, where he would orchestrate and manage the advancement of Oud students to an expert level, sharing his techniques and expertise. Shamma has taken great interest in group and orchestral music with dozens of performances alongside prominent elements such as the Metropolitan Orchestra of Montreal and with leading jazz artists such as Wynton Marsalis, The Lebanese Oriental Orchestra, and his own establishment of the Global Ensemble. Throughout his career, a priority has always been his humanitarian contribution to promoting peace across the world, projects such as T.A.Z.C which treats vulnerable children in India, and the Ahluna Foundation which has supported over three million refugees. He has been credited for his humanitarian work with awards such as the 2012 International Gusi Peace Prize. He was also assigned the Ambassador of the Iraqi Red Crescent and Ambassador of the International Non-Violence Association and he continues to serve as the UNESCO Artist for Peace.