A visionary champion for youth and community development and a gifted violinist, Nabeel Abboud-Ashkar has led and inspired people from all walks of life across Israel, Europe and the U.S. He performed with and was a spokesperson for the West-Eastern Divan Orchestra for a decade. Nabeel began his violin studies at age eight. He graduated from Tel Aviv University in both physics and music, and completed his master’s degree at the Hochschule für Musik, in Rostock, Germany.

In 2006, Nabeel gave up his music career and returned to his hometown, the Arab-Israeli city of Nazareth, to answer the need he saw in the community for quality music programming. He founded and led the Barenboim-Said Conservatory there, which expanded into Polyphony Education in 2012. Today, Polyphony is a leading organization advocating for social change through the arts. 

For his groundbreaking work, Nabeel has been honored with the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany (2025), the Charles Ansbacher Music for All Award (2015), Yoko Ono Lennon Award Courage for the Arts (2012), and an Honorary Doctorate from Washington College (2012).