We are thrilled to announce that the recipient of the 2026 Bagri Music Award is the leading Syrian violinist, musician, and educator Ayman Hlal.

Now based in Berlin, Ayman specialises in both Middle Eastern and Western classical music. Since leaving Syria as a result of war, he has participated in several national and international events and projects, and performed with multiple orchestras and bands, including the Syrian Expat Philharmonic Orchestra (SEPO), and Nai’ Oriental Orchestra in Austria.

Ayman will perform at Cove Park on Saturday 25 July and at The Mackintosh Church in Glasgow on Saturday 1 August. Complimenting Ayman’s two-week residency, these events are presented in partnership with the Bagri Foundation.

In 2025 Cove Park embarked upon a two-year partnership with the Bagri Foundation to launch Sound Series, a new programme of residencies bringing acclaimed international musicians to the UK.  The recipient of the first Award was the Palestinian composer and musician Faraj Suleiman.

The Bagri Foundation works within a network of leading cultural organisations that champion artistic excellence and provide extraordinary artists from across Asia, wider visibility on the global stage. Working collaboratively with Cove Park to nominate and select the artists, the Bagri Music Award is aimed at artistic development and is a unique opportunity for acclaimed emerging or mid-career musicians from West Asia to spend quality time in Scotland.

Ayman’s residency has also been developed in close collaboration with SEPO, the first Symphony Orchestra for professional and academic Syrian musicians who live in the European Union. SEPO was founded in September 2015 in Germany by the Syrian musician Raed Jazbeh.

Further information and tickets for both the Cove Park and Mackintosh Church performances are available via Ticket Tailor.