This Palestinian musical genius won the Beethoven Prize

The International Beethoven Piano Prize of 2015 has been granted to the Syrian pianist, Ayham Ahmad. Due to forced displacements of Palestinians, he and his family had to move. Ayham gained attention thanks to his viral video where he plays the piano in a Damascus refugee camp. What makes the video different, is the fact that the background shows the ruins of the deserted capital city of Syria.

The 27-year-old Ahmad used to live in the Middle East, but we all know that countries like Syria and Palestine can be dangerous or even life-threatening. Due to these bad circumstances, he had to leave his home country to flee to Europe. His heart broke when he realized that his home was no longer safe and that the place where he used to play his music no longer existed. “Leaving Yarmouk was a tragic experience,” he told Al Jazeera when he was staying on the Greek island Lesbos.

But good things have happened too. The Syrian man had the chance to perform during the Thank You Concert in Munich, Germany. The concert was meant to welcome the refugees. Several German artists performed to also thank the volunteers for their effort. When he performed again – this time in Bonn – Ahmad received his award and played “Songs of Yarmouk”.