Playing instruments in the bathroom isn’t quite what you expect when you think of classical musicians, but this is exactly what Palestinian flute player Dalia Moukarker does to snatch a few moments of peace in her busy household. At 20, Dalia grew up in the village of Beit Jala, near to Bethlehem, as one of four siblings. From her bedroom window she can see part of the separation wall built by Israel, a constant reminder that travel restrictions are part of everyday life in the West Bank.

A budding musician, in autumn Dalia may be able to move beyond these limits. She has been offered a place at Karlsruhe music school in Germany and if her German visa materialises she will be one of a very small group of Palestinian musicians ever to have studied music in the West. Dalia is part of Palestine’s growing cohort of classical musicians who are finding their focus in Bach and Beethoven compositions.

RTWT