About Eastern Strings
Eastern Strings is a captivating musical collaboration between acclaimed double bassist and composer Daphna Sadeh-Neu and oud player, composer, and arranger Knud Stüwe. Bringing together the deep resonance of the double bass and the warm, expressive voice of the oud, the duo creates music that moves gracefully between cultures, traditions, and contemporary sound worlds.
Their performances blend elements of jazz, world music, Middle Eastern influences, Baroque textures, folk traditions, and original composition. The result is music that feels both timeless and fresh, rooted in rich musical heritage while exploring new creative territory.
Daphna Sadeh-Neu
Daphna Sadeh-Neu is an internationally recognised double bassist and composer whose work crosses musical boundaries with elegance and imagination. She has released four albums on major UK and US labels, including John Zorn’s Tzadik label, and has received commissions to compose for small ensembles as well as full orchestra. Her music reflects a wide-ranging artistic voice, drawing from jazz, world music, classical forms, and Baroque influences. Daphna has performed internationally across Europe, Asia, and the United States, earning a reputation for powerful musicianship, expressive depth, and adventurous composition.
Knud Stüwe
Knud Stüwe is fast establishing himself as a unique and brilliant voice on the oud. As a performer, composer, and arranger, he brings a distinctive sound that is both deeply connected to the oud’s traditions and open to new musical possibilities. His recent collaboration with the Ligeti Quartet led to a sold-out concert at St George’s Bristol, praised by David Harrington, founder of the Kronos Quartet, who described the Ligeti Quartet as having found “brilliant collaborators” in Knud Stüwe and Ali Elmubarak.
Together as Eastern Strings, Knud Stüwe and Daphna Sadeh-Neu create an intimate and dynamic musical dialogue. The oud and double bass offer a rare and compelling combination, with the oud’s delicate ornamentation and lyrical warmth balanced by the double bass’s depth, rhythm, and harmonic richness. Their music can be meditative, rhythmic, atmospheric, and full of movement, inviting audiences into a soundscape shaped by both tradition and innovation.
Eastern Strings has performed at a wide range of respected venues and festivals, including St George’s Bristol, Somerset Jazz Festival, Stroud Sacred Music Festival, Somerset Folk Music Festival, Linton Music Series, Clare Hall College Cambridge, Rich Mix London, Home Museum London, Canteen Bristol, Cotham Club Bristol, Bristol Cathedral, Bristol Beacon, and Luton Carnival Centre. Their performances blend elements of jazz, world music, Middle Eastern influences, Baroque textures, folk traditions, and original composition. The result is music that feels both timeless and fresh, rooted in rich musical heritage while exploring new creative territory.
Whether performing in concert halls, festivals, sacred spaces, cultural venues, or intimate live settings, Eastern Strings offers audiences a rich and memorable musical experience. Their work is ideal for listeners drawn to world music, contemporary jazz, classical crossover, and beautifully crafted acoustic performance.