Harpist & performance artist
- Elected Member |Migrant Advisory Council (Migrantenbeirat), Leipzig
- Founder & Artistic Director |Forte Foundation, plattform for art & transcultural exchange
- Jury Member |Spartenoffene Förderung, Berlin Senate Department for Culture and Social Cohesion
Neam Tarek is an interdisciplinary cultural-political artist and solo harpist, as well as the founder and artistic director of Forte e.V. in Leipzig. Since 2021, she has also served as an elected member of the Leipzig Migrants Advisory Council (2021–2025).
Trained as a harpist, Neam studied at the University of Music and Theatre Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy Leipzig, Hanns Eisler University of Music Berlin, and the University of Performing Arts Graz (KUG), graduating in 2019. While rooted in classical technique and repertoire, her artistic path expanded in 2021 when she delved into media arts and performance practices at the Leipzig Academy of Fine Arts (HGB). She graduated in 2024 from the performance art class led by Prof. Isabel Lewis.
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Early Life & Classical Training
Born in Cairo, Neam Tarek began studying the harp at the age of five under the guidance of Prof. Samira Michel, one of Egypt’s most esteemed harpists. At just seven years old, she made her debut as a soloist at the Cairo Opera House, quickly gaining national recognition and performing in major theaters and concert halls across Egypt.
Her extraordinary talent led her to Europe as a child, where she was offered a place at the University of Music and Performing Arts Graz in a special program for highly gifted young musicians. She later continued her studies at Hanns Eisler School of Music Berlin with Prof. Maria Graf before moving to Leipzig, where she completed her musical education at the University of Music and Theatre Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy.
Neam has performed with prestigious orchestras and in renowned concert halls, including the Berliner Philharmonie, Konzerthaus Berlin, Gewandhaus Leipzig, and state theaters in Darmstadt, Frankfurt, Munich, and Bremen. She has also toured internationally, performing at venues such as the Institut du Monde Arabe in Paris and concert halls across Italy, Spain, France, Poland, the Netherlands, Belgium, Austria, Cyprus, Greece and China. She has gotten Masterclasses also with leading harpists, including Xavier de Maistre and Marie-Pierre Langlamet.
Artistic Development & Interdisciplinary Exploration
Neam’s artistic practice took a transformative turn in 2011 during the Arab Spring, when she began using contemporary music as a tool for self-expression and political reflection. This pivotal moment fueled her interest in experimental sounds and conceptual music-making, leading her to explore performance art and media-based practices.
In 2021, she expanded her artistic practice by joining the Academy of Fine Arts Leipzig (HGB), where she studied in the performance art class led by Prof. Isabel Lewis. Her work now moves fluidly between music, performance, and contemporary media, challenging the traditional boundaries of classical music and embracing interdisciplinary approaches.
Cultural-Political Engagement & Institutional Work
Beyond her artistic career, Neam Tarek is deeply engaged in cultural-political work. As a woman of color in the European classical music scene, she has critically examined systemic barriers and the intersection of race, gender, and artistic tradition.
She is the founder and artistic director of Forte e.V., a Leipzig-based nonprofit organization that fosters transcultural artistic exchange, promotes diversity in the arts, and strengthens the cultural and social participation of migrant artists. Through Forte, she has established collaborations with major cultural institutions across Germany and beyond, facilitating interdisciplinary projects, workshops, and performances that challenge Eurocentric narratives in the arts.
Since 2021, Neam has also served as an elected member of the Leipzig Migrants Advisory Council, advocating for migrant artists’ representation in cultural and political spheres. Additionally, she has been selected as a jury member for the Spartenoffene Förderung of the Berlin Senate Department for Culture and Social Cohesion, playing a role in shaping funding policies for interdisciplinary and experimental artistic projects.
Through her diverse body of work, Neam Tarek continuously bridges music, performance, and cultural activism, using art as a medium for critical discourse and transformation.
