Syrian Violinist Turns Passion for Music into an Inspiring Message of Peace and Cultural Understanding

From a young age, Mariela Shaker was a gifted violinist. At the age of 10, she joined the Arabic Institute of Music in Aleppo, Syria, graduating in 2004 with distinction. She then began traveling across Syria to perform in various festivals and concerts, eventually returning to the institute to teach music to a new generation of students.

On Tuesday, March 15, 2011, a brutal civil war broke out in Syria as an anti-regime uprising challenged the presidency of Bashar al-Assad. With major cities destroyed and hundreds of thousands of casualties, the country was left in disarray. As the ongoing humanitarian crisis mounted in the years to follow, more than 5 million refugees fled the country in search of safety – Mariela among them.

Working to obtain her bachelor’s degree when the civil war broke out, Mariela’s graduation was delayed and she lost a scholarship opportunity in London. But in 2013, a full scholarship to Monmouth University in Illinois provided Mariela with another chance to escape the Syrian conflict, to study music and obtain a visa to the United States – where she was eventually granted full political asylum.

Now 26 and a full-time resident of the United States, Mariela uses her incredible gift to bring people together through music. She was honored in 2015 as a White House Champion of Change for World Refugees, and now travels the country and the world sharing her music to raise awareness for the millions who have fled Syria.

“I feel powerless to change the current tragedy on going in my country,” said Mariela, speaking at the 2016 Points of Light Conference on Volunteering and Service. “However, I believe so much in the power of music – and I believe it its ability to fashion peace and love in our world."

We caught up with Mariela to learn more about her life, motivations and achievements as a musical changemaker.

Read the full story on the Points of Light blog.