Merlijn Twaalfhoven is a Dutch composer and the founder of La Vie Sur Terre, a nonprofit organization that produces large-scale projects on location with local artists and musicians. As a cultural entrepreneur, Twaalfhoven works to bridge contrasting cultures and mix unusual elements to create peace and unity where conflict is most prevalent. His musical collaborations combine classic and modern, Western and Oriental, groovy and subtle into lively metaphors for our contemporary world. Last year, Twaalfhoven created innovative musical projects in Jordan, Syria, Israel, and Palestine and was named by UNESCO to their list of 20 artists under the age of 35 who were awarded with the title of “Young Artist for Intercultural Dialogue between the Arab and Western Worlds.”