Applicant: I am the artist.

Full name: Orwa Al-Shara’a.

Position: Guitarist.
Email address: orwash@hotmail.com

Title: Mr.
First (given) name: ORWA
Last (family) name: ALSHARAA
Full name as it appears on your passport: ORWA ALSHARAA
Gender: male
Date of birth: 28/11/1993
Email Address: orwash@hotmail.com
Secondary e-mail address, if applicable: orwa.al.sharaa@gmail.com
Nationality: Syrian
Country or Countries of Citizenship: Syria
Do you hold a valid passport: Yes
If you hold a valid passport, when does it expire: 24/02/2020
What is your present location? Please provide the city and country: Damascus, Syria
What is your native language: Arabic
What other languages do you speak? Please list each language and indicate your skill level (basic,
intermediate, advanced, fluent): English (Advanced)

I think this one is going to be empty

What is your artistic discipline/ practice: Classical Guitar
Please provide a list of recent exhibitions, performances, productions, publications, etc:
With Orontes Guitar Quartet:
- A concert in the Latin Church in Damascus
- Participated in a concert at Damascus Opera House for the Guitar Class of the Higher Institute of Music
- A festival called Global Week for Syria at the French Institute in Beirut, Lebanon
- Teaching assistants with guitarist Susan McDonald, Yes Academy Lebanon
- Released a CD album called (The Clock)
- Participated with the Syrian National Symphony Orchestra (Concierto Andaluz for Joaquin Rodrigo)
Please provide links to your art work / website online:
http://ogqds.weebly.com
https://www.facebook.com/ogqds
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bt5WOLx76bg
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CxBAlbNcmbE
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A19eOOy2zqQ
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCtYeWy-VnhsVHcSZvrwRNZA/videos

Please provide a summary of your Artist Statement (maximum 500 words):

As a guitarist from Syria, I play the guitar because it is a way for me to reach people all around the world.
I use it as a method of speaking on real life issues as well as talking about some of my own experiences
that I wouldn’t otherwise talk about. My music is a form of therapy for myself and hopefully my
audience. If I can reach people and help them through struggles or tough times and let them know they
aren’t alone then I will have done my job as an artist.
The way I select pieces, themes and concepts is by sitting down and freeing my mind. I’ll close my eyes
and look to see something, a vision or an idea. I listen and choose music to play, but I do so by letting go
of control. As things start to develop I stop and refocus. I redefine what it is I want out of the music and
jump back in.
I am currently working on the greatest project (At least for me) with my friends which is Orontes Guitar
Quartet. We have been experimenting with different music styles that hopefully cause the audience to
think and connect with our music in a way that they feel like the know us.

Please provide a brief Personal Statement explaining why you are applying to the APF for support.
Include a clear account of the threats or risks that you have been facing (maximum 500 words):
My name is Orwa Alsharaa and I am a classical guitarist from Syria. I live in Damascus and study at the
Higher Institute of Music. I am trying to do something beautiful while this war is killing everyone. Music
is everything for me. When I listen to music, I feel comfortable. It gives me hope to reach my dreams. I
am a member of Orontes Guitar Quartet and we are trying to do something beautiful. I want to make
concerts but here in Syria, it is very hard to do that, and without concerts I can’t increase my experience.
It is a very important thing to a musician to make concerts to increase his experience. I have a dream
that I hope one day may come true. I want to play the guitar everywhere in the world. I am teaching the
guitar in many institutes and trying to carry music to everyone who want to learn. I have a goal, and it is
very important to me. I want to play for children and to teach them and to give them hope. This goal is
very important to me because children has suffered enough because of this war. They saw a lot of things
that they must not see in their age. This war affected them psychologically, and I think music will be the
best healing for them. I want to start a project to teach music for everyone, even those who can't pay.
First I must study music. I must stay alive to do that. These are hard days. We live under the conditions
of war, where no one knows if he will stay alive the next minute or not. Because of the war, all of our
good teachers left Syria. It is difficult to work with war conditions. We only have electricity sometimes.
In winter the weather is very cold and it is difficult to stay warm enough to practice because the fingers
will be stiff because of cold and don’t move very well. The currency fell and prices are very expensive, so
we must do both, working and studying. All of these things cause a lack of time devoted to practice.
Also, horrible things like dead bodies, mortar shells around us every day (a mortar shell fell down 1 hour
before my last concert with Orontes Guitar Quartet, we were getting ready to play Concerto Andaluz for
4 Guitars and Orchestra, then we found ourselves moving injured people), armed clashes on the army
check points. What we see every day affects us psychologically, so we lose more practice time. When
you see the suffering and war and murderers, your feelings will change. This will affect your playing and
your life. The situation in Syria doesn't allow me to reach my goals.
Place of Employment: Private music institute
Your Position: Guitar Teacher
Dates of Employment: 01/2012

Degree #1: Certificate of Accomplishment from American Arts Festival and American Voices (Yes
Academy Lebanon) for successfully completing the academy program August 10 to 22, 2015
Degree #2: Certificate of Accomplishment from American Arts Festival and American Voices (Yes
Academy Lebanon) for successfully completing the academy program August 9 to 20, 2016
Award/ Honor: Half scholarship to study music and the classical guitar from Oklahoma City University
(01/05/2016). It didn't work because I don't have enough money to pay the rest of tuition.

How did you hear about the Artist Protection Fund: Guitarist Susan McDonald.