Applicant: I am the artist.

Full name: Mohammed Mir Mahmoud

Position: Guitarist.
Email address: mhamad.meer.1993@gmail.com

Title: Mr.
First (given) name: MOHAMMED
Last (family) name: MIR MAHMOUD
Full name as it appears on your passport: MOHAMMED MIR MAHMOUD
Gender: male
Date of birth: 23/06/1993
Email Address: mhamad.meer.1993@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: 15/05/2017
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=Vyl7emOkaz4
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g0rfkJqwM2A
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RS8jZsPjNDw
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2rb03LtezPM
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCtYeWy-VnhsVHcSZvrwRNZA/videos

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

I see music as medium from which to share hope and healing. It restores and celebrates life. To me,
music is a story. I love stories. Their intrigue, drama, humor, conflict, and resolution all enliven me. Can
the music bring healing and hope to others? This is my goal. Through the music, I seek to produce
moments where emotion is experienced and memory created for my audience. This is truth, emotion
lived through art experientially.
Playing music flows from my emotion. I start with how I feel and what the music is saying to me. A
dialogue occurs between myself and the music. I let this dialogue flow rather than thinking technically.
Playing the guitar, or sometimes even singing the melody, shows me how to shape it. Even in my
practicing process, the melody initiates a story.
Currently, I’m working with my friends to write our story as a quartet called Orontes Guitar Quartet.
Trying with them to reach the beauty of music and to challenge everything hard to make beautiful music
in this war in Syria.

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 Mohammed Mir Mahmoud, I’m a guitarist from Syria, and I study at the Faculty of Music in
Homs and the Higher Institute of Music in Damascus.
I teach the guitar in many institutes. Also, sometimes I give private lessons. I made many concerts like
solo, duet, quartet, oriental band, jazz band, and now I’m a member in Orontes Guitar Quartet.
When I started to learn the guitar I didn’t have a professional teacher, so I had to travel to Damascus.
After I graduated from the high school I traveled to Homs to study in the Faculty of Music, and after 2
months, when the semester begins, war started to take place at Homs, and the dorms was near to the
hot areas. It was really dangerous to live there.
Snipers were sitting on the top of the buildings killing everyone on the roads, plus, the mortar shells.
To live in Syria, in the middle of the war has so much disadvantages in addition of being always in
danger.
I had to live with no electricity for many hours in the day, try to study and practice in this conditions, it is
impossible.
Music was the biggest inspiration since my childhood. It takes me to places I've never visited, inspiring
me with many ideas and emotions.
It is just a beautiful language gathering all races and nations together.
So I decided to be one of those musicians who spread peace and beauty everywhere they come.
That’s why I love music and that’s why making concerts is very important to me, so the situation in Syria
is preventing me from doing the things I love.
I have a dream, that one day I’ll be a professional guitarist, traveling around the world, performing
concerts, and discovering new cultures and new musical styles and bring it back to my country to
introduce it to people in Syria which going to be so helpful to my country.
The last bad thing has happened to me with war is when I had a concert with Orontes Guitar Quartet to
perform Rodrigo’s Concerto Andaluz and suddenly a mortar shell fell down near the entrance of
Damascus Opera House 1 hour before the concert, then found myself moving injured people and help
them.

Place of Employment: Private music institute

Your Position: Guitar Teacher
Dates of Employment: 01/2014

Degree #1: 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.