The evening started with a speech from Prof. Saed Abu Hijleh, the Instructor at An-Najah, who welcomed the audience from the Palestinian organizations and cultural centers and invited everyone to enjoy the performances by the two musicians, Maestro Julien Salemkour and Aregh Oskar Hweiter.

Maestro and pianist Julien Salemkour was born in 1969 to a German mother and an Algerian father and began his conducting studies in 1987 under Prof. Hans Herbert Joeris, at the Mozarteum in Salzburg. He subsequently gained a large opera repertoire early on his career as assistant to such well-respected conductors as Christoph von Dohnahnyi, Sir George Solti and Pierre Boulez and as an instructor at various opera houses in Germany. He has appeared as a pianist with the Austrian New Music Ensemble in numerous premiere performances and broadcasts.

Austrian musician Aregh Oskar Hweiter played the cello. He was born in 1973 and started his musical education at Gratz University and Bal Music Academy in Switzerland. In 1999 he obtained a degree in solo performance and teaching music, he then continued his studying in Indiana, USA, Manchester, UK and in Italy. He obtained several international prizes and currently he’s teaching music in the Palestinian Territories.

At the end of the evening, the two musicians were awarded the University plaque by Prof. Muhammed Atta, Dean of the Fine Arts Faculty, and Mr. Hamad Al-Masri from Nablus the Culture.