Biography
The Galilee Quartet is a Palestinian ensemble made up of four siblings — Omar, Mostafa, Tibah, and Gandhi Saad — from the village of Maghar in Galilee. Named after their native region — a suggestion from their father Zaher — the quartet weaves a unique connection between Western classical and Eastern Arabic musical traditions. Each member plays a dual role: Omar (viola, Arabic percussion), Mostafa (violin, oud), Tibah (cello, voice), and Gandhi (violin, voice). Their repertoire includes original works by Mostafa and Gandhi, some with Eastern inflections, others influenced by the West — and several fusing the two.
In 2022, the quartet began advanced training with the Cremona Quartet at the Stauffer Centre for Strings. In 2023, they moved to Paris to join the Cycle concertiste programme at the CRR de Paris, where they study with Miguel Da Silva and Luc-Marie Aguera, while also receiving guidance from Jean-François Heisser, Gilles Millet, Marc Danel, and Emmanuel Haratyk. In February 2025, they were admitted to the master’s programme in string quartet at the CNSMDP in the class of François Salque, Jean Sulem, and the Quatuor Ébène, and will begin a four-year artistic residency at the Centre Européen de Musique de Chambre PROQUARTET. Members of Le Dimore del Quartetto and committed educators, they remain deeply engaged in the musical life of Palestine.