Ghiya Rushidat

Ghiya Rushidat is an internationally acclaimed composer, pianist, and sonic storyteller whose work fuses classical training with cutting-edge innovation, blending Middle Eastern roots with Western cinematic traditions. A Grammy, BAFTA, Emmy, and Film Independent Spirit Awards voting member, Guinness World Record-breaking pianist, BMI Pete Carpenter Fellowship winner, and 2019 Sundance Composer Lab Fellow where she was mentored by Oscar-winning legends including Alan Silvestri, James Newton Howard, Christophe Beck, Marco Beltrami, Harry Gregson-Williams, and more. She contributed to major productions at Warner Bros. Studios (Vikings Season 6, Netflix's Another Life) and worked with composers like Christopher Young, Christopher Lennertz, and Trevor Morris. Classically trained after playing piano by ear since age 4, Ghiya began her film scoring journey in 2010 with the silent short Desire, followed by scores for over six documentaries for Al Jazeera and multiple international features in the 2 years after. Her score for 40 Years and One Night earned awards at the Saudi Film Festival and Global Film Festival Awards, and was a finalist at the US Hollywood Golden Film Awards. In 2019, her debut at Carnegie Hall featured original works performed by the United Nations Chamber Music Society, with whom she continues to collaborate. Her compositions are frequently featured at international concerts and events, including those with Helix Collective. Her album All The Imaginary Video Games I Scored was on the Grammy ballot, and she helped break a Guinness World Record for the longest acoustic concert of music by women and non-binary composers, performing 10 of her own works live in London. She was among the first composers shaping Saudi Arabia's re-emerging film industry with works like Pen of Mirrors (starring Oscar-nominee Eric Roberts), national orchestral recordings, and cross-cultural musical projects like Upwards. Ghiya studied neuroscience at the University of Pennsylvania and is currently preparing for a PhD at the University of Chester, researching artificial intelligence in music composition for picture. A tireless advocate for women and human rights, she has volunteered for over a decade with abused women, cancer patients, and orphans, and was nominated for the Queen Rania Al Himmeh Award for her humanitarian work through music. She divides her time between Los Angeles, Riyadh, and Dubai, continuing to build a global legacy rooted in innovation, emotion, and impact.