Palestinian-Dutch ud virtuoso Haytham Safia returns to the Ud Festival with an inventive two-pronged programme that both relishes unique collaborations and cherishes the traditional.

Safia begins the concert with a special duet with the qanun player Khalil Khoury: an enchanting warm-up in the sparkling acoustics of the Amstelkerk.

NO Blues combines Arabic roots music and American folk blues, bridging the gap between East and West and fusing the Nile and the Mississippi into a single, meandering musical delta. Current events, people seeking refuge and religious themes intermingle in the lyrics.

Haytham Safia was born in North Galilee and since graduating from the Academy of Music and Dance in Jerusalem has been expanding his musical horizons in the Netherlands. He is known for his razor- sharp solos, breathtaking compositions and unconventional approach to mingling musical styles. He knows how to push the ud to the limit, and steals the show with the myriad variations he draws from the instrument.