Mahmoud Abuwarda

Mahmoud Abuwarda (born 1990) is a Palestinian composer, classical guitarist, and music educator based in Istanbul. Early life and education Abuwarda was born in Gaza in 1990. He received his early training in classical guitar at the Edward Said National Conservatory of Music in Palestine, where he studied under guitarist Pedro López de La Osa. He later studied music theory and composition through Berklee College of Music on a Gary Burton Scholarship. Career and compositions Between 2012 and 2022, Abuwarda held several academic and administrative positions at the Edward Said National Conservatory of Music, including teaching guitar, composition, and music theory, and was the head of the guitar department and the academic supervisor. He also taught at Zemas College in Istanbul. Abuwarda was director of the Sea and Freedom Music Festival in Palestine and has participated in international cultural events, including the Lisbon & Sintra Film Festival (LEFFEST) in Portugal. In 2025, Abuwarda’s orchestral work A Story to Tell premiered in Portugal, performed by the Orquestra Sinfonietta de Lisboa at the Festa do Avante festival. In 2026, he was announced as a winner of the JERUS-IT-ARTS In