Born in 1983 in a small kibbuz in the Negev desert, the Israeli composer, conductor, double bassist and oud player Shaul Bustan started playing classical music from a very young age. Growing up between two worlds, to a Persian mother and an Eastern European father, he was not only influenced by this on a personal level. Also musically, he has been a frequent traveler between these two worlds. Till today, Shauls musical language are the unique sounds and combinations of orient and occident. 

Shaul graduated from the Jerusalem Academy of Music and Dance in 2009, holding a master’s degree in composition. Among his teachers were violinist Motti Smidt, composer Haim Permont, and conductor and composer Aharon Harlap. 

Throughout his career, he has composed over 300 pieces; from opera to chamber and orchestral music to music for film, theatre and dance. Shaul has composed for several international orchestras, ensembles and soloists, including for the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra, the Los Angeles Jewish Symphony (USA), EOS Chamber Orchestra Cologne, the Tiroler Ensemble für Neue Musik - Innsbruck (Austria), Musica Nova Ensemble (Israel), Meitar Ensemble (Israel), Koninklijke Harmoniekapel Delft (The Netherlands) as well as for the mandolinist Avi Avital, the klezmer maestro Giora Feidman and for the Schleswig-Holstein music festival.

Since 2011, Shauls is based in Berlin. As well as working as a musical director and composer in diverse theatre projects, he conducts several choirs in Berlin and performs regularly throughout Germany with his trio.  And he has put his focus on composing and performing his own music on the Oud.

He has received several awards for his work, including Best music at the International Film Festival of Ahmednagar (India, 2021), 1st prize at the International Tapiola Choir Choral Composition Competition (Finland, 2020), Chana Avni-Yaddor Composition Competition (Israel, 2007/08) and was awarded scholarships from Deutschen Musikfonds, Deutschen Musikrats, Berliner Senats and the America-Israel Cultural Foundation.