About

Syrian conductor and cellist, Dr. Ghyas Zeidieh is an active musician and educator in the Iowa and Illinois region. In addition to his position at Coe College, Zeidieh serves as the music director at both Kirkwood Community College and the Cedar Rapids Community Orchestra. He earned his Doctor of Musical Arts and Master’s Degree from the University of Iowa, and degrees in Music and Dentistry from the Damascus Conservatory and University. 

A passionate educator for all ages, Zeidieh served as Instructor of Cello at Western Illinois University and was a member of the Julstrom faculty String Quartet. He has completed training in the Suzuki Association method in addition to teaching Orchsetra in the Iowa City Community School District. Zeidieh is the former Program Coordinator at the Harmony School of Music in Cedar Rapids, served as the Music Director for the Dubuque Symphony Youth String Ensemble and Philharmonia from 2019-2022 and was recently the orchestra conductor for Theater Cedar Rapids’ Sound of Music. An active orchestral musician, Ghyas has played with many orchestras in the Middle East, including the National Syrian Orchestra, Syrian Philharmonic Orchestra, the Arab Youth Orchestra, and the Euro-Med Orchestra, can be heard on several Syrian film scores, and is a member of the Dubuque Symphony cello section. He has performed with numerous American ensembles including the National Geographic Midwestern Tour (MN and IL), Revival Theater Company (IA), Theater Cedar Rapids, Quincy Symphony (IL), and the Dirt Road Ensemble (NH). Since 2010, he has been involved with the Apple Hill Center for Chamber Music in NH, serving as a Playing for Peace participant, counselor and camp director.