Amr Selim

Dr. Amr Selim is a visionary musician, educator, and cultural entrepreneur dedicated to creating inclusive and decolonized performance and educational environments. Born and raised in Cairo, Egypt, Dr. Selim has shared his expertise across the Middle East, Europe, and the USA, advocating for equitable and diverse artistic communities through his collaborations, performances, teaching, and speaking engagements.

Dr. Selim has held professorial positions in music at the Lebanese American University and academic posts at Adelphi University and Stony Brook University in New York, where he earned his Doctorate in Musical Arts as a Staller Scholar. He plays an active role in thought leadership and policy-making, evident in his contributions to the Presidential Task Force on Leading Change in Music Education and his leadership of the International Initiative Committee at the College Music Society.

Renowned for his exceptional musicianship, Amr has been lauded for his “expressive and ghostly wailing [playing] of a kind never heard from the horn before.” He has collaborated with esteemed artists and ensembles, including The Silk Road Ensemble, Yo-Yo Ma, the Emerson String Quartet, and Imani Winds, working under renowned conductors like Daniel Barenboim and Ingo Metzmacher.

At American Voices, Dr. Selim spearheads major international projects such as the Hip-hop in the Concert Hall initiative, the Heart of initiative, the International Composers Forum, Engage the Globe, and contributes to the Arts Envoy Program sponsored by the U.S. State Department. His work primarily focuses on cultural diplomacy, organizational development, and expanding global access to the arts.

Amr resides in San Jose, CA, with his wife and two daughters, where he enjoys the rich local arts and culinary scenes. In his leisure time, he relishes in exploring the music of Kendrick Lamar, Osvaldo Golijov, and Jacob Collier, deeply analyzing their art.