Tareq Rantisi is a Grammy-nominated world percussionist, composer, and educator. He has performed and recorded with some of the biggest names in modern music including Luciana Souza, Aaron Goldberg, Daniel Schnyder, and as a member of Danilo Perez’s Global Messengers. Tareq’s musical roots emerge from community work. Initially a self-taught virtuoso in the rich tapestry of Arabic music, Tareq began studying music while teaching and performing in Palestinian refugee camps and community centers in the West Bank and Jerusalem. He joined other educators in 2011 to found the Edward Said Conservatory in Gaza, Gaza’s first music school. Tareq carried this commitment to using music for social change to Berklee College of Music, performing in schools, prisons, and hospitals while completing his BA in Performance in 2011 and MA in Global Jazz in 2019. And in late 2020, Tareq created the “World Music Concert Series” a free outdoor concert series which transforms underutilized public spaces in Greater Boston into vibrant cultural venues.
Tareq’s artistic practice traverses diverse landscapes, engaging with Arabic, Jazz, Afro-Cuban, Indian, West African, Brazilian, and embracing deep study of folk traditions. This ongoing exploration shapes his musical philosophy, evident in his debut album A’hazeej (Jafra Productions 2024), based on an extensive study of Arab Gulf percussion traditions. Tareq has shared his expertise through master classes, workshops, and instruction at institutions like Boston College, Brandeis University, the Novi Sad Jazz Festival, and the Panama Jazz Festival.
