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Farid Sheek’s world does not begin or end on stage. Behind every composition lies a story, a silence, a question. In this space, he opens a window into that world — sharing thoughts, memories and encounters that shape his creative path.
Here you’ll find personal reflections, behind-the-scenes impressions, notes from the road, and moments that never made it to the spotlight but still carry weight. Some posts offer a glimpse into the making of a performance. Others explore broader themes: the role of art in society, the rhythm of belonging, or the beauty of collaboration across cultures.


Sounds of the World: My Contribution to the Opening of Fenix
On May 15, 2025, I had the honour of being invited to lead the musical segment of the official opening ceremony of the Fenix Museum in...
Farid Sheek
May 192 min read


Music That Transcends Words: Behind the Scenes with Composer Farid Sheek
Welcome to my blog! Today, I invite you on a unique journey behind the scenes of my latest musical project. This is a story of...
Farid Sheek
Feb 52 min read


Dance or Die
A celebration of the determination of Syria-born dancer Ahmad Joudeh with the music of the Iranian/Dutch composer Farid Sheek By...
Farid Sheek
Jan 121 min read


The Unseen World | A Mystic Journey
Imagine telling an unborn child about the vibrant, majestic world awaiting them outside the womb – green fields, towering mountains, and...
Farid Sheek
Jan 121 min read


Performance on NTR Radio Klassiek: Gordafarid in Music
With great pride and gratitude, I recently had the honor of performing on NTR Radio Klassiek alongside Mojgan Shajarian, Hossein...
Farid Sheek
Jan 121 min read


Honorable Invitation: Performance at the Johannes Vermeer Prize 2024
With great pride and gratitude, I am pleased to share that I was recently invited to perform during the ceremony of the Johannes Vermeer...
Farid Sheek
Jan 122 min read


"Gordafarid in Music: An Ode to the Courage of Women"
Introduction Recently, I had the honor of presenting my largest project of the year in collaboration with the North Pole Orchestra:...
Farid Sheek
Jan 122 min read


"With My Music, I Want to Unite Worlds"
The Iranian-Dutch musician Farid Sheek (29) comes from a family of Sufi musicians. "It wasn’t until I moved to the Netherlands that I...
Farid Sheek
Jan 124 min read


Roya Was Here: A Film That Resonates, with a Soundtrack from the Heart
I am incredibly proud to share that the film Roya Was Here , for which I composed the music, has been nominated for the Feminist Impact...
Farid Sheek
May 13, 20241 min read


Benefit: Concert for Peace | Het Concertgebouw
Cellist Maya Fridman and pianist/percussionist Farid Sheek present a benefit Concert for Peace to The Concertgebouw. Together with their...
Farid Sheek
Oct 25, 20231 min read


RIPPERDA IN THE PRESS
Last Saturday, Ripperda premiered on a beautiful summer evening under a clear sky at Op Maarhuizen . The cast was rewarded with a...
Farid Sheek
Sep 25, 20231 min read


BEHIND THE SCENES – THE MUSICAL JOURNEY OF MARIPEPA CONTRERAS (OBOE) AND FARID SHEEK (DAF DRUM)
By: Joost Tanasale The story of the charming deceiver Ripperda takes the audience across different countries — and the music travels...
Farid Sheek
Sep 25, 20233 min read


Farid Sheek Beyond Borders
Composer Farid Sheek and other exceptional musicians from various ethnic music traditions join forces to create a harmonious whole. Sheek...
Farid Sheek
Feb 26, 20231 min read


Vrij Spel NPO
Every Saturday, De Muziekfabriek features the segment Vrij Spel . In Vrij Spel , presenter Jet Berkhout challenges musicians to breathe...
Farid Sheek
Sep 25, 20221 min read


Sufi Music Meets Jazz in the Sufi Temple of Katwijk
This program places beautiful music at its heart, enriched with storytelling. As the grandson of a Persian Sufi master, Farid Sheek ...
Farid Sheek
Sep 25, 20221 min read


Freedom Lectures Reflect on a Successful Series about the War in Israel and Palestine
In February and March 2024, five Freedom Lectures took place in Wageningen, Zwolle, The Hague, Tilburg, and Utrecht, focusing on the war...
Farid Sheek
Sep 25, 20222 min read


Performance for the Royal Family
HIt was a great honour and pleasure to have had the opportunity to perform for the Royal Family at the Royal Palace in The Hague. I...
Farid Sheek
Jul 18, 20221 min read


Flight a head, With Ahmad Joudeh
"It was difficult to dance But I was enjoying it Whenever moving forward seemed impossible I decided to turn and whirle" Farid Sheek...
Farid Sheek
Jul 18, 20221 min read


IN TWO MINDS
KALPANARTS | KALPANA RAGHURAMAN Together with five dancers, daf player Farid Sheek (Iran) and cellist Maya Fridman (Russia), Kalpanarts...
Farid Sheek
Mar 9, 20222 min read


Muziekgebouw Eindhoven | Booster Klassiek
Farid Sheek & Maya Fridman An encounter between East and West with pianist and composer Farid Sheek and award-winning Russian cellist...
Farid Sheek
Sep 25, 20211 min read


The flow of EastWest
(music & calligraphy-painting) By: Fraidoon Warsta, Farid Sheek, Doriene Marselje, Mohsen Masoumi & Maya Fridman This event is about...

Fraidoon Warsta
Sep 10, 20212 min read


Sabr Ensemble
Composer Farid Sheek’s new ensemble consisting of the Russian cellist Maya Friedman, the Dutch harpist Doriene Marselje and the Iranian...
Farid Sheek
Jul 5, 20211 min read


Daf-production
Curious to find out where my daf-instruments come from? They are made by a specialist, called Mustafa. Because the drums are not being...
Farid Sheek
Jul 5, 20211 min read


The Pyramid of Health
Scientific studies have shown, throughout the years, that music has a lot of positive effects on our health. Music helps us relax,...
Farid Sheek
Jul 5, 20211 min read


Children of Aleppo
A performance about hope, courage, and (dis)belief When the peaceful demonstrations in Syria escalated into a devastating civil war, the...
George Elias Tobal
Sep 25, 20201 min read


That Afternoon
The arthouse feature That Afternoon is a powerful debut about two refugees—each on opposite sides of a door. Like a mathematical...
Farid Sheek
Sep 25, 20201 min read


Parso Quartet
Every Wednesday and Thursday, the Zuiderstrandtheater presents ZST Live , its online stage. Today it’s the turn of Farid Sheek and the...
Farid Sheek
Sep 25, 20201 min read


lunchbreak with Farid Sheek en Maya Fridman
“Music allows you to tell a story larger than words can hold.” As a composer and performing musician on both piano and the daf (a...
De Doelen
Sep 25, 20201 min read


THEATER, CHILDREN OF ALEPPO
Students' Stories from the Antelope of Hell: The Children of Aleppo Monologue 'When did something start? Usually you suddenly find...
Vincent Kouters
Sep 25, 20193 min read


Symphonic Junction: Vier Jaargetijden Revisited
Charismatic recorder player Erik Bosgraaf joins forces with Iranian musician Farid Sheek and the Residentie Orkest . Together they...
Fotograaf Jan Rijk
Sep 25, 20191 min read


IN DE GEEST VAN RUMI | Womb
The first orchestral composition by musician Farid Sheek (Isfahan, 1994) is a special one. The work is based on an ancient poem by the...
Anton Slotboom
Sep 25, 20192 min read


Parso Quartet
Together with Arben Ramadani and Javid Ardani , Farid Sheek and Mohsen Masoumi form the Parso Quartet —a group of gifted musicians...
Farid Sheek
Sep 25, 20191 min read


“It Felt as If I Could Hear Everyone Breathing”
Before pianist Farid Sheek plugged in the lights of his Christmas tree, he wished that his music would one day break through. Sometimes,...
Patricia Jaspers
Sep 24, 20192 min read


Residentie Orkest the Hague – Business Circle Meeting
Public Transport: Past, present and future By Roy Lie Atjam. The Philharmonic orchestra and the Residentie Orkest Business Circle met at...
Farid Sheek
Sep 22, 20192 min read


The Alderman and RRKC
Albeda welcomes the Alderman for Education, Culture & Tourism and the Rotterdam Council for Art and Culture (RRKC) On Monday, April 8,...
Farid Sheek
Sep 25, 20181 min read


A Dream Fulfilled
For years he played the piano just a stone’s throw away, yet the distance between Rotterdam’s Central Plaza shopping center and the...
Anton Slotboom
Sep 25, 20181 min read


Dream Comes True for ‘Plaza Pianist’: AD Reader Donates a Piano
“We’re moving,” says generous donor Marja Copier. “Our new home doesn’t have space for the piano. When I read the story about Farid, I...
Farid Sheek
Dec 28, 20171 min read


Farid Found His Piano Dream Between the Shops of Plaza
Five years ago, Farid Sheek arrived in the Netherlands, following his mother who had fled Iran after facing political persecution. Back...
Farid Sheek
Dec 6, 20173 min read


The Journey of the Return
The Journey of the Return is a way back to the essence in which we became human beings, like ice molecules that shape themselves in water...
Frédéric Antonious
Sep 25, 20171 min read


A Dream Fulfilled
Just a stone’s throw away from De Doelen , he spent countless hours playing the piano. Yet the leap from the Central Plaza shopping...
Anton Slotboom
Sep 24, 20171 min read
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