Described as “a maestro in his own right” by BBC Music Magazine and a “oud virtuoso” by CBC Music, Abdul-Wahab Kayyali commenced his oud studies in 1989 at the National Music Conservatory of Amman, Jordan under the tutelage of Sakher Hattar. While in Amman, he also received tutelage and guidance from Iraqi oud virtuoso Munir Bashir. He has performed widely as a soloist and an ensemble member throughout the Middle East, Europe, North and South America. In 2020, Abdul-Wahab co-founded the world music trio “Les Arrivants” in Montreal with Hamin Honari and Amichai Ben Shalev. He also released his debut solo album “Juthoor” in 2020.
His projects have gained recognition and support from the Abdul-Hameed Shoman Foundation and Bank Al Etihad Foundation in Jordan, as well as the Canada Council for the Arts, the Conseil des arts et des lettres du Quebec (CALQ), the Conseil des arts de Montreal (CAM), and the Conseil Quebecois de la Musique (CQM). In addition to performing with Les Arrivants across Canada and the US, he has most recently collaborated to perform and record with Naseem Alatrash (cello), Tariq Harb (classical guitar), Saeed Farajpouri (kamancheh), Salah Eddin Maraqa (qanoun), Merrie Klazek (trumpet), Haitham Haidar (voice), and ensemble Constantinople.
Kayyali is also passionate about education and knowledge transfer. He has developed online oud seminars for the Labyrinth Online Academy and has participated as a faculty member in the Arabic Music Retreat of 2025. He teaches oud privately in person and online. A trained political scientist (PhD, 2018), Kayyali informs his art with the knowledge and training he has received.
