Joseph Tawadros
Joseph Tawadros is an Egyptian-born Australian [|award-winning] multi-instrumentalist and oud virtuoso. Tawadros has won the ARIA Award for Best World Music Album seven times: 2012, 2013, 2014, 2020, 2021, 2022 and 2023.
Biography
Tawadros' family emigrated from Egypt to Australia when he was three. Initially attracted to the trumpet, he decided to learn the oud when he was eight, after seeing a movie about Egyptian musician Sayed Darwish. Elected School Captain at Randwick Boys High School, where he was taught by Derek Williams. Tawadros is classically trained, having completed a Bachelor of Music degree at the University of New South Wales, where he was awarded a Freedman Fellowship for Classical Music, and in 2025, an [|honorary doctorate]. His brother James Tawadros, also educated at RBHS, is a musician who regularly plays percussion, notably the Riq, with Joseph.In the 2000s, Tawadros also studied in Egypt with violin player Esawi Dagher, son of the renowned violin player Abdo Dagher. During the years that followed, Tawadros spent three months a year in Egypt and learned to play other instruments: the bamboo flute nay, the Arabic zither qanun and the cello.
At the ARIA Music Awards of 2012, Tawadros won Best World Music Album for Concerto of the Greater Sea. He won the same category in 2013 for Chameleons of the White Shadow, 2014 for Permission to Evaporate and 2020 for Live at the Sydney Opera House. He also won Best Original Soundtrack, Cast or Show Album in 2017 for Ali's Wedding.
Style
Joseph Tawadros' style is described as "eclectic". According to Sydney Morning Herald, "He has taken the oud out of its traditional Middle Eastern setting and into the realm of classical music and jazz." Tawadros told Map Magazine, "I don't like to play in a particular genre, I love all sorts of music I try to record an album a year and one that's totally different from the previous album." He has collaborated with musicians such as John Abercrombie, Jack DeJohnette, Roy Ayers, Bela Fleck, Joey DeFrancesco, Richard Tognetti and the Australian Chamber Orchestra, and The Academy of Ancient Music.Tawadros plays 52 instruments on his albums including oud, qanun, saz, violin, ney, Portuguese guitar, electric bass, kalimba and accordion. His brother James uses 11 percussion instruments.
Awards and recognition
Order of Australia
Tawadros was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia in the 2016 Australia Day Honours "for significant service to music as an accomplished oud performer, composer and recording artist".Honorary doctorate
In a graduation ceremony held at the University of New South Wales on 2 December 2025, hosted by Vice-Chancellor Dr David Gonski, Tawadros was awarded honoris causa a Doctorate of Music of the university, from which he had previously graduated BMus. As at December 2025, Tawadros is one of only four ever to receive the UNSW honorary DMus degree, the others being Irena Morozov, Simone Young and Richard Tognetti.AIR Awards
The Australian Independent Record Awards is an annual awards night to recognise, promote and celebrate the success of Australia's Independent Music sector.!