The drums of war are seldom mixed with the melodies of classical music.
For Aboud Abaza, escaping torment in Syria provided him with an opportunity to play his violin in peace.
The man of today is a well-known violinist who has played in the orchestras of leading musicians such as iconic Syrian tenor Sabah Fakhri and Dutchman Andre Rieu.
But his journey to the heights of classical music was an arduous one.
He led a stable life as a violinist in the Syrian capital, Damascus, but his growing popularity had a detrimental effect on his life.
He became a victim of threats from gangs who detested music and threatened him to hand over the money he earned on the road.
Andre Rieu performs in Sydney Source: AAP
"I had no choice but to leave and abandon everything except for my beloved violin," he told SBS Arabic24, adding that his violin was a "symbol of life, safety and security for his present and his future".
He fled Syria in 2010 for the United Arab Emirates, where he settled and worked as a violinist. He travelled to many countries to perform with his orchestra.
It was during a musical tour in 2008 that Mr Abaza first visited Australia, and he fell in love with Sydney.
"I was amazed by nature and the cultural diversity and ever since then I started dreaming of moving and living in Australia one day."
Inspired by his first visit, he applied and eventually received a skilled work visa in 2015 and moved with his family to Adelaide.
He started a new life down under but resorted back to music - but this time he took it upon himself to learn new ways of classical music, different from the classical music that he excelled in while residing in the Middle East.
"I learned new musical styles and also developed my English language in order to assimilate and become an effective component of the Australian community."
In a short time, he obtained a master's degree in music and violin teaching from the University of Adelaide and was able to blend classical and oriental styles.
His success culminated in him joining the orchestra of Andre Rieu, who expressed his admiration for Mr Abaza's performance. The Dutchman gave him the opportunity to play with him at the Sydney Opera House.
“André appreciated my oriental music and chose me to perform with his orchestra and before his show in Australia, it was a remarkable experience.”
He is now preparing his doctoral thesis and writing a book about Arabic music and the mix between it and Western music.
Mr Abaza is of Circassian heritage from Abkhazia, a de facto and partially recognised republic south of the Greater Caucasus mountains.
