micheline abi samra

Family of Beirut Chants, Let us start from where we ended our opening speech last year:

“People of Lebanon, Unite! Unite for the love of music and unite to make our country beautiful again…

We stand united as never before to claim what is rightfully ours.

We are joined in beauty. The beauty of transforming our public spaces into theaters for arts and cultural performances.

The beauty in chanting coexistence while peacefully claiming your rights... Our rights as citizens.

This unity we have experienced has brought back hope to realize our dream of a better Lebanon which now is so close of becoming reality.

The Beirut Chants raison d’etre is “music for everyone in the historical churches and venues in Beirut”.

We invite all people to join us this year to chant for change and to stand together for our values.

Together we will overcome and together we will be victorious.

God bless our Lebanon and God bless you all.

Micheline Abi SamraF O U N D E R O F B E I R U T C H A N T S F E S T I V A L

12YearsofBeirutChantsNOTE: As the situation in the country remains uncertain, venues & concerts are subject to change. Please always refer to beirutchants.com for updates.

ILANAH LOBEL-TORRES, SOPRANO

From New-York City, Ilanah Lobel-Torres began her musical education with the Brooklyn Youth Chorus (singing and piano). After graduating, she joined Carole Haber's class at the New England Conservatory of Music in Boston. She then attended Arthur Levy's classes at the Mannes School of Music where she obtained her master's degree. In 2018, at the National Opera Center (OPERA America) in New York, she sang Gretel in Hänsel and Gretel and Fiordiligi in Così fan tutte. In 2019, she was Rose Maurrant in Street Scene. Ilanah Lobel-Torres joined the Paris Opera Academy in September 2019.

RAMYA ROY, MEZZO-SOPRANO

Born in India, Ramya Roy studied economics at the University of New Delhi. She began classical singing in Delhi before entering Valérie Millot's class at the W. A. Mozart Local Conservatory in Paris in September 2014. In 2016, she entered the Regional Conservatory (CRR) of Paris. In 2018, she won the Special Jury Prize at the International Singing Competition in Marseille and was a finalist at the Avignon Raymond Duffaut – Young Talents contest. Ramya Roy joined the Paris Opera Academy in September 2019.

TOBIAS WESTMAN, TENOR

Born in Sweden, Tobias Westman is graduated from the University of Stockholm in singing. He debuts on main Scandinavian stages singing Gennaro from Lucrezia Borgia by Donizetti at Malmö Opera House and as Albert in Die tote Stadt at Wermland Opera. After interpreting B.F. Pinkerton in a concert version of Madama Butterfly by Puccini,

Mass in C MajorL.V. Beethoven

DEC 1 / 8:30 PMST. JOSEPH CHURCH, MONOT

ILANAH LOBEL TORES, SOPRANORAMYA ROY, MEZZO-SOPRANOTOBIAS WESTMAN, TENORMATEUSZ HOEDT, BASSEDWARD LIDALL, VOCAL COACHANTONINE UNIVERSITY CHOIRLEBANESE PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRATOUFIC MAATOUK, BEIRUT CHANTS FESTIVAL ARTISTIC DIRECTOR, CONDUCTOR

IN COLLABORATION WITH THE ACADÉMIE DE L’OPÉRA DE PARIS AND THE ITALIAN CULTURAL INSTITUTE.

G R A N D O P E N I N G

MAIN PARTNER

he takes the role of Gastone in the staging by Olivier Py of La Traviata at Malmö Opera. Last summer, he was Tamino in Die Zauberflöte at Opera pa Skäret Festival.Tobias Westman joined Paris Opera Academy in September 2019.Mateusz Hoedt, Bass baritoneMateusz Hoedt was born in Wroclaw, Poland, and graduated from the local University of music where he studied with Bogdan Makal.

In 2014, he he joined the Academia Operowa of the Grand Theater of warsaw, under the tutelage of Eytan Pessen. He joined the Paris Opera Academy in September 2016. He took part to the concerts at the Amphitheater and on the stage of the Palais Garnier. Mateusz Hoedt has today a worldwide career and can be seen on the stages of the Teatro Madrid, the Wielki Theatre of Warsaw and the Semperoper of Dresden.

EDWARD LIDDALL

Edward Liddall was born in London and began his musical training at the Royal College of Music in 2001. He earned a Bachelor’s degree in Music at King’s College, Cambridge in 2011 under the guidance of Thalia Myers. In 2014, he graduated from the Guildhall School of Music and Drama under the guidance of Caroline Palmer. In 2015, he won first prize for accompanying pianist at the Maureen Lehane Awards and, in 2017, he was a finalist in the Young Classical Artists Trust at Wigmore Hall. In July 2018, he participated in The Art of Recital summer residency at the Aix Festival where he accompanied the soprano Louise Kemény under the direction of Stéphane Degout and Alain Planès. Edward Liddall joined the Paris Opera Academy in September 2018.

ANTONINE UNIVERSITY CHOIR

The choir has contributed since the eighties in the cultural enrichment of the Lebanese musical life with its repertory, by focusing on the Antonine musical tradition and by being faithful to the monastic tradition of the Antonine Maronite Order. Its repertory is very rich in classical and contemporary music. The Choir performed with several orchestras such as the Lebanese Philharmonic Orchestra, Armenian Philharmonic Orchestra, Warsaw Philharmonic Orchestra, Opera Romania Timisoara (Qatar), Orchestra of Teatro di San Carlo (Naples), New England symphonic ensemble (New York), Tbilisi Symphony Orchestra (Georgia), Musica Sinfonia de Los Angeles, The State Youth Orchestra of Armenia, Orchestra dei pomeriggi Musicali (Milano), Orchestra

Giovanile Mediterranea (Palermo) United Strings of Europe Orchestra, Romanian Radio Chamber Orchestra (Bucharest) and Novi Sad Opera house Orchestra (Serbia).

TOUFIC MAATOUK, CONDUCTOR

Born in Lebanon, Toufic Maatouk, is one of the most compelling conductors of his generation. In the 2012 season, Maatouk began his tenure as Artistic Director of Beirut Chants Festival in Lebanon. He is also Guest Conductor of the Lebanese Philharmonic Orchestra since 2013 and Guest Conductor of the Romanian Radio Chamber Orchestra Orchestra since 2017. Maatouk was appointed Artistic Director and Choir Master

of the Antonine University Choir, in August 2005 and Head of the vocal department in the Lebanese National Higher Conservatory of Music since October 2015. He holds a PhD in Musicology from the Istituto Pontificio di Musica sacra (Pims) in Rome where he conducted and published different studies on the syro-maronite chants.

He collaborated with several orchestras and festivals including Orchestra di San Carlo (Napoli), Orchestra Giovanile Mediterranea (Palermo), Orchestra Roma sinfonietta (Rome), New England symphonic ensemble (New York), Orchestra Los Angeles sinfonietta (Los Angeles), Saint Petersburg Symphony Orchestra (Russia), Kiev symphony orchestra

(Ukraine)…Al-Bustan International Festival, Baalbeck International Festival, Byblos International Festival (Lebanon), Festival d’ile de France (Paris), Carnegie hall (New York), Teatro dell’Opera di Roma (Roma), Teatro di San Carlo (Napoli), Académie de l'Opéra de Paris, Festival d’Aix en provence (France), Romanian Radio (Bucharest), Al-Ain International music festival (UEA), Bahrain International Music Festival (Bahrain).

TOUFIC MAATOUK, BEIRUT CHANTS FESTIVAL ARTISTIC DIRECTOR

St. Stephanos the Melode Choir

DEC 2 / 8:00 PMST. SAUVEUR CATHOLIC CATHEDRAL

BACHIR OSTA, CONDUCTOR

The Saint Stephanos Choir was founded in 2009 by Subdeacon Bachir Osta, head of the Saint Stephanos Patriarchal School of Byzantine Music.

Subdeacon Bachir Osta is also the first chanter of the See of Antioch. He gathered a large number of skilled chanters in the Eparchy of Beirut and that of Jbeil, then expanded towards the South and ultimately reached all the LebaneseEparchies. Moreover, Subdeacon Bachir Osta founded the Saint Stephanos Female Choirin 2012, which is currently under the direction of Miss Josiane El Hindi.The Choir presented many recitals, and served many masses and prayers(parochial masses and prayers, ordination of priests and bishops, joint recitalswith other choirs…)All members of the Choir are experienced chanters of Byzantine music, andstudents of the Saint Stephanos Patriarchal School as well, who gradually join theChoir upon acquiring all required skills and knowledge.

Full biographies at beirutchants.com

Jahida Wehbe

DEC 3 / 8:00 PMST. MARON CHURCH GEMMAYZEH

'When poetry is wrapped in the melody's boudoir, when voice spins the keys of ecstasy and passion, when the voice becomes the breathes of the soul's nay...comes into being Jahida Wehbe's performance: A rite for wonderment, a life experience of awareness and excellence'.The Lebanese Diva Jahida Wehbe is considered one of the most prominent singers in the Arab world. She has a unique style that sets her apart from other contemporary Arab singers; as her performances represent a skillful combination of both authenticity and innovation. She has earned herself many titles such as; "Priestess of Sound", "Enchanting Voice", "Silken Voice" and "Diva de l'Orient". A full-rounded artist, she not only enchants audiences with her outstanding voice,but also composes her


own melodies with delicate arduousness and highly professional music along with her band comprising top-notch musicians from around the world, overlooking great Arab and international poets and Writers...With her voice coming from the depth of emotion embroidered with a new singing dimension. In 2013, She was selected as one of the "2000 Outstanding Intellectuals of the 21st Century" by The International Biographical Center in Cambridge. Her music style is wide-ranging, including everything from classical and sufi music to Arab fusion. She has headlined at the most prestigious venues across the globe and has worked with prominent Arab artists.

DEC 4 / 8:00 PMARMENIAN CATHOLIC CATHEDRAL

HAROUT FAZILIAN

Harout Fazlian started his musical education at an early age in Beirut, studying the piano. In 1976 along with his family, he immigrated to Montreal, Canada and continued his musical studies there. In 1983 he travelled to Yerevan, Armenia to continue his formal education in Classical music. He received his Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees both with Honors in Symphony and Opera Conducting. Maestro Fazlian has Ph.D degree in Music Education.Upon his return to Montreal in 1990, Maestro Fazlian started his journey in shaping his conducting career, conducting numerous concerts in Canada. Since the year 2000, Harout Fazlian has been the Principal Conductor for the great

Armenian Classics

HAROUT FAZLIANCONDUCTOR

MEMBERS OF THE LEBANESE PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA

Lebanese singer Julia Boutros. Since 2010, he has been the conductor to the Lebanese Diva Fairouz.Fazlian has been awarded with an Honorary Doctor’s Degree from The International Academy of Sciences of Nature and Society of Armenia and has also been awarded with a Certificate of Honors from the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Armenia.In September 2015, the French Government honored and made Harout Fazlian “Officer of the Order of Arts and Letters”.

The choir conducted by Maestro Barkev Taslakian, is composed of 100 members from different social background. The choir’s repertoire mainly focuses on Arabic music (mostly arranged by Edward Torikian) and covers Lebanese, Syrian, Egyptian, Palestinian, Iraqi, Bedouin, and Andalusian music in addition to Latin, Armenian, French, and English. The choir’s mission is to develop and promote Arabic Music richness and authenticity.

DEC 5 / 8:00 PMASSEMBLY HALLAUB

Fayha Choir

BARKEV TESLAKIANCONDUCTOR

Fayha Choir has represented Lebanon in many festivals around the world, namely in Poland Krakow, Lodz and Warsaw, Poland, Abu Dhabi, Armenia, France, Canada, China, Qatar (2010 & 2011), Cyprus, Bahrain, Kuwait, Spain, Saudi Arabia, Sharjah, Germany, Netherlands, Belgium, Sweden and Dubai.

Fayha Choir is a member the “International Federation for Choral Music” (IFCM) and "European Choral Associations-Europa Cantat".


AND THE BALAMAND CHOIR

ReemDeeb

Dr. Reem Deeb holds two Doctorates of Music with a specialization inVoice Performance, History and Literature, and minors in Music Education and Choral Conducting from the prestigious IndianaUniversity Jacobs School of Music, Bloomington, USA. She also holds a Music Therapy certificate from Roehampton University, London, UK. In 2019, Dr. Deeb completed a business diploma in StrategicBusiness and Leadership. She currently is doing post doctoral studies in Paris with Rima Tawil.

She is Academy Director of Keys’n Cords Music Academy, Verdun and Lecturer of music at the Lebanese American University. She is associate organist at the National Evangelical Church of Beirut. Deeb is also anacclaimed voice teacher who coaches in Lebanon and abroad. Dr. Deeb has performed extensively in the United States,

the Middle East and Europe. Her repertoire includes several recitals, oratorio, opera and musical theatre roles, as well as productions.

Local and international performances include collaborations with well-renowned organist Naji Hakim, conductor Robert Wickham, sopranoDeborah Roberts, alto Caroline Trevor, tenor Tom Philips and conductorPeter Phillips of Tallis Scholars amongst others. She is also a member ofAmerican honour society for music professionals: Pi Kappa Lambda.

Ghada Shbeir& Sheikh Ahmad Hawili DEC 7 / 8:00 PM

ST. JOSEPH CHURCH MONOT

SHEIKH AHMAD HAWILI

Ahmad Hawili, also known as Sheikh Ahmad Hawili, is a Lebanese Sufi singer who has gained recognition for his Sufi vocal performances during the past few years. Sheikh Ahmad has attained popularity after he was noted to have a unique voice blended with deep passion in his songs which combine elements of modern and traditional music, as well as, Sufi poetry.

GHADA SHBEIR

Ghada Shbeir is a graduate of the Holy Spirit University- Kaslik. She holds a PHD in Musical Sciences. Today, she teaches oriental singing at the same university, and she is the director of the Oriental choir at Holy Spirit University- Kaslik.She released several traditional Arabic CDs entitled “Moushahat”, “Qawaleb”, “Al Qasida”, “Andalusia”, and numerous Syriac Chants CDs; “« Syriac Chants », « Passion » and « Chants Syriaques- Noel », which were the result of a a research concerning a version of more than 700 melodies of Maronite and Catholic Syriac chants.


Founder and director of the School of Music at Notre Dame University - Louaize since 1992, He teaches musical theory, notation, and choir singing at the Lebanese National Higher Conservatory of Music.

He wrote many religious chants and hymns for various occasions as well as the Children Mass.

Notre Dame University Choir

DEC 9 / 8:00 PMST. JOSEPH CHURCH MONOT

KHALIL RAHME, O.M.M., CONDUCTOR

Founded in 1993 by Father Khalil Rahmeh, Notre Dame University Choir has built an expansive repertoire and presented more than 300 concerts around the world. The choir is formed of a number of professionals as well as students of the School of Music. The NDU Choir won the Gold Medal and the Audience’s First Prize - Adult Category - in the Third International Choirs Competition held in Laval, Quebec 2007.

Father Rahmeh, the choir’s director is also a composer, he studied philosophy and theology at the Pontifical University of Laterano in Rome. He pursued composition studies with Maestro Valentino Miserachs.



Simone Vebber, Organ

Simone Vebber, was born in Trento, 1983.

He has studied Ancient Organ with L. Ghielmi and in the Accademia Internazionale di Musica in Milan. He graduated in Organ, Piano (cum laude) at the Conservatory “F. A. Bonporti” of Trento (Italy), and he received the “Diplome de Concert” at the Schola Cantorum of Paris, studying with J. P. Imbert and he had the First Prize with P. Pincemaille at the class “Organ Improvisation” at the CNR of Saint-Maur (Paris). He participated in the Interpretation Masterclasses with L.Lohmann, J. C. Zehnder, Bine Bryndorf, Brett Leighton, and P. D. Peretti. He won 1st

Prize in Alessandria - Italy, in Pistoia – Italy, 1st Grand Prize and Public Prize at the “J. S. Bach Organ Competition” in Saint Pierre lès Nemour – France in 2005, 1st Prize at the “J.J.Fux” international organ competition in Graz 2010, and the “J.S. Bach Prize” at the St. Albans Competition 2011.

He has recorded for “Suonare Records”, Diapason Edition, Mascioni, ORF and Discantica. He played concerts in many Organ Festivals (Tokyo, Riga, Paris, Milan, Rome, Warsaw, Rio de Janerio, etc.) He played as soloist with many orchestras like the Mozart Orchestra.


Fabrizio Meloni

Luca Maggiarello Fausto di BenedettoDEC 11 / 8:00 PMASSEMBLY HALL, AUB

SOLO CLARINET OF TEATRO ALLA SCALA ORCHESTRA

IN COLLABORATION WITH THE ITALIAN CULTURAL INSTITUTE

FABRIZIO MELONI, CLARINET

Fabrizio Meloni, since 1984, is the first solo clarinet chair of the Orchestra and the Philharmonic of the Teatro alla Scala in Milan. In 2015, DEUTSCHE GRAMMOPHON released the cd ‘VIEF ET RYTHMIQUE’ entirely devoted to the French repertoire for Clarinet and Piano (with T.Yoshikawa), and 2016 they released another CD entirely dedicated to Mozart performed with the BASSET CLARINET.

LUCA MAGARIELLO, CELLO

The young talented Cellist began to study music at the Suzuki School in Turin, and graduated from Turin Conservatory, aged 16, with the highest grade and praises studying with Antonio Mosca. After his graduation

he continued his studies with some of the most important cellists but decisive will be his encounter with Enrico Dindo and Enrico Bronzi, to whom he entrusted his artistic and musical growth.

FAUSTO DI BENEDETTO, PIANO

Fausto Di Benedetto studied piano with Michele Campanella at the Accademia Chigina and with Dalton Baldwin and Norman Shetler at the Mozarteum in Salzburg. The artist, who teaches at many Italian universities, has acted as an accompanist for many major theatres and musical institutions such as the Teatro Comunale di Bologna, Fondazione Teatro La Fenice and Teatro Verdi di Trieste.

EN COLLABORATION AVEC L’INSTITUT FRANCAIS

Le Cantique des Cantiques


HOMMAGE À MAHMOUD DARWICHSPECTACLE CRÉÉ EN MARS 2010 À LA SCÈNE NATIONALE DE SÈTE ET DU BASSIN DE THAUEN COPRODUCTION AVEC LA SCÈNE NATIONALE DE SÈTE ET DU BASSIN DE THAU, LA COMPAGNIE RODOLPHE BURGER.LA COMPAGNIE RODOLPHE BURGER EST SOUTENUE PAR LA DIRECTION RÉGIONALE DES AFFAIRES CULTURELLES DU GRAND EST.

LE CANTIQUE DES CANTIQUESTHE SONG OF SONGS

Rodolphe Burger set to music and recorded the Song of Songs, according to a text of the Bible translated by Olivier Cadiot, on the occasion of the marriage of Alain Bashung and Chloë Mons. It was fifteen years ago. Today, it is with a tribute to the great Palestinian poet Mahmoud Darwish that he revives the project. In this concert, created in Sète in 2010, he has this sacred text answered in a poem by Mahmoud Darwich, who considered the Song of Songs to be

one of the most beautiful love poems.A sound poem by Rodolphe Burger (guitar, vocals), with Julien Perraudeau (bass, keyboard), Mehdi Haddab (oud), Yves Dormoy (electro, clarinet), Ruth Rosenthal (vocals) & Rayess Bek (vocals) This piece, issue a show created in March 2010 on the set of the Molière Theater in Sète, is a double tribute to Alain Bashung and Mahmoud Darwich, a mirroring of two love songs.

Lebanese Philharmonic Orchestra


JESSICA PRATT, SOPRANOOSCAR DELLA LIRICA, BEST SOPRANO OF THE YEAR (2016)TOUFIC MAATOUK OAM, CONDUCTOR

IN COLLABORATION WITH THE LEBANESE NATIONAL HIGHER CONSERVATORY OF MUSIC AND THE ITALIAN CULTURAL INSTITUTE

JESSICA PRATT, SOPRANO

Hailed by the New York Times as a soprano of “gleaming sound, free and easy high notes, agile coloratura runs and lyrical grace”, Jessica Pratt is considered one of today’s foremost interpreters of some of Belcanto’s most challenging repertoire. As one of the most active singers in her field, over the last 12 years, Jessica has taken to the stage in 114 productions for 82 different organizers, in 73 cities over 13 countries. She has interpreted 40 different roles of which the most popular is Lucia Ashton from Gaetano Donizetti’s “Lucia di Lammermoor” with over 103 shows in 33 productions, followed by Amina from Vincenzo Bellini’s “La Sonnambula” and Elvira from Vincenzo Bellini’s “I Puritani”.


St. Romanos ChoirDEC 14 / 6:00 PMST. NICHOLAS CHURCHACHRAFIEH

REV. ROMANS JOUBRANCONDUCTOR

THIS CONCERT IS SPONSORED BY SABA FAMILY IN MEMORY OF

THE LATE GABRIEL SABA.

The choir of the Beirut Greek Orthodox Archdiocese was founded in 2000, and debuted with a recital in St. George’s church in Souk el Gharb.It is essentially composed of graduates of St Romanos School, in addition to priests and friends of the choir, and conducted by the director of the school Fr. Romanos Joubran. Its performance is based on Simon Karas' School of Music and Spyros Pavlakis' method, in addition to the current Antiochian tradition.

The choir aims to perform well known chants, namely Mitri Al Murr's, former protopsalti of the Antiochian patriarchate, and Andraos Mouaikel's, in addition to new recitations. It presents services with Arabic and Greek recitations, and has some available recordings.

The choir is currently composed of 35 members who perform recitals and participate in the new albums’ recordings.


AbeerNehme

Abeer Nehme is a renownedinternational singer. Throughout the years, she acquired knowledge in musicology and the theories of Arabic, Western and Religious music (Aramaic) to reach very advanced levels. She is known for her exquisite talent in performing different music styles with great ease and professionalism. She performs Arabic Traditional Tarab, traditional Middle Eastern folks, Arabo Andalusian songs, Ancient Syriac and Maronite Chants, Opera, and Western Music. She sings in more than fourteen different languages.

Abeer performed in prominent international festivals amongst which the Festival "les Orientales" in Paris, the "International Musical Festival and Conference at Royaumont", “Festival Evora” in Portugal, Brussels Palace "Flagey International Festival" in Belgium. She also performed at many prestigious concert halls such as Urania Theater in Berlin, Megaro Mousiki in Athens, Sodertalje Estrad Theater in Sweden, the Opera House of Cairo and Alexandria in Egypt, the Culture Palace, the Congress Palace, Opera House, as well as many other venues worldwide.


Guy Manoukian

DEC 15 / 8:00 PMASSEMBLY HALL, AUB

Lebanese musician, composer and pianist, Guy Manoukian has been a key musical player both locally and internationally for the last 20 years. Not only has he worked with the biggest names in the US, but his fusion of oriental melodies with modern arrangements has taken him all over the world, selling out concerts in London, Singapore, Montreal, Cairo, Dubai Opera House, Kuwait, Mexico, Chile, Abu Dhabi, Monaco, Los Angeles, Yerevan the Sydney Opera House, The Beiteddine and Byblos International festivals, The London Palladium, The Greek National Opera in Athens, and the only artist to be invited twice to Dubai Opera which have Sold out all shows.

Guy is the recipient of many awards but the ones he cherishes the most are the Armenian Music Award that he received in Los Angeles for Best Dance Album, and the Best Arabic Tune of the Year Award for “Harem” which he earned in Lebanon in 2002 in addition to the Best Dance Album at the Arabian Music Awards held in Dubai in 2003.Performing all over the globe, from Chile to Sydney, Manoukian still finds time to work with the biggest pop acts: he recorded "On Tour" with Wyclef Jean, worked with 50 Cent, French rapper

Diams, Raul Di Blasio and Mario Reyes of the Gipsy Kings family. 2020 looks to be Manoukian’s biggest year till date, with scheduled concerts all around the world.


FEATURING FAYHA CHOIR

USEKChoir

DEC 16 / 8:00 PMST. MARON CHURCHGEMMAYZEH

FATHER BADIH EL HAGE, CONDUCTOR

“The Choir of the Holy Spirit University of Kaslik”, or more briefly “The Choir of Kaslik”, was founded, together with the construction of the University, in 1950. The importance of this choir is due not only to the quality of its interpretation but to its ecclesial and liturgical role, and to its artistic and patrimonial role in the preservation and the promotion of authentic Arabic and Lebanese music.

This choir was the principal execution tool of liturgical and musical reforms that took place within the Holy Spirit University of Kaslik and almost reached the totality of the Maronite Church, both in Lebanon

and beyond its borders. Moreover, through concerts and records, it revitalized an authentic Lebanese and Arabic musical heritage.

Father Badih El Hajj has a PhD in History of Music and Musicology from Sorbonne, Paris and a degree in Theology from USEK, Lebanon. He is the dean of the Faculty of Music in USEK and also a professor in the Faculty. He directs the Centre for Musical and Sound Heritage, the USEK Choir, and the Studio Services at the Faculty of Music. He is also a member of the University Academic and Research Council.

JULIEN LIBEER

Ever since receiving the prestigious Juventus Award - previously awarded to e.g. Piotr Anderszewski and Emmanuel Pahud - at the age of 20, Julien Libeer has been described by national and international press as one of the most remarkable musicians of the younger generation. Since then, he has been the guest of the Palais des Beaux-Arts in Brussels, London’s King’s Place Concert Hall, the Théâtre de la Ville (Paris).

DEC 17 / 8:00 PMST. ELIE CHURCH,KANTARI

Lorenzo Gatto,ViolinJulien Libeer, Piano

2ND PRIZE IN THE QUEEN ELISABETH COMPETITION2009

JUVENTUS AWARD 2008


LORENZO GATTO

Lorenzo Gatto was born in Brussels in December 1986. He started playing the violin at the age of five with Dirk van de Moortel. At eleven years old, he enters the Brussels Royal Conservatoire of Music in the class of Veronique Bogaerts, where he graduates at seventeen only with the highest honour. His work and determination are brilliantly rewarded as he won both the Second Prize and the Public’s Prize at the Queen Elisabeth Competition in 2009. In his spare time, Lorenzo enjoys a lifelong passion for everything that flies. Look up and see if you can spot him high in the sky, arriving at a concert flying a small plane or even a paraglider.

DEC 18 / 8:00 PMASSEMBLY HALL, AUB

Wissam Boustany, Flute & AleksanderShram, Piano

WISSAM BOUSTANY

Boustany is a Lebanese/British concert flutist. He has toured and collaborated with a number of symphony and chamber orchestras. Conductors Boustany has worked with include Claudio Abbado, Ivan Fischer, Bramwell Tovey, John Elliot Gardiner, Roger Norrington, George Solti, Peter Szilvay, Lubnan Baalbaki, James Judd, Jordi Mora, Volodymyr Sirenko, Levon Parikian, Nicholas Cleobury, Martyn Brabbins, Michel Brandt, Varujan Kodjan, Clark Rundell, Jerzy Maksymiuk, Evelyne Aiello, Ludwig Carrasco, Nader Abbassi, Andrew Morley and Toby Purser. He is a recipient of The Crystal Award, awarded to him in 1998 at the World Economic Forum, Davos, Switzerland

ALEKSANDER SZRAM - PIANO

Aleksander was born in Southampton to Polish parents and has been playing the piano since the age of five. Winner of the 2004 Vlado Perlemuter Award, Aleksander enjoys a varied schedule of solo piano, concerto and chamber music performances across the world, having played in more than twenty-five countries over four continents.


SAMAR SALAME, SOPRANO

Samar Salamé finished her Audiovisual studies at IESAV (Saint Joseph University), before embarking on her journey in the lyrical field.Maestro Roberto De Simone invited her to join his company Media Aetas in Naples. She followed him to Italy and toured the Peninsula with his show "The Opera Buffa del Giovedi Santo". At the end of the tour, Salamé moved to Rome to pursue her studies at The Conservatory of Santa Cecilia. During her five years at this prestigious institution, she participated in Verdi's “Il Trovatore”, Rossini’s “Semiramide” based on Voltaire’s tragedy, Roberto De Simone's “Requiem alla Memoria di Pier Paolo Pasolini” in Munich.

DEC 19 / 8:00 PMST. ELIE CHURCH KANTARI

Samar Salame, SopranoMatteo El Khodr, Counter-Tenor

MATTEO EL KHODR, COUNTERTENOR

Due to luck, coincidences, and fate, Matteo found himself at age 18 signing a huge contract with Universal Music France and moved there to learn music, to become an opera singer, to travel and sing on the biggest stages of Europe.He released his first album “Matteo Haute-Contre”, a “Thank You” album to all the inspirations who led him to fulfill his destiny: Bach, Bellini, Vivaldi, Purcell, Verdi...After a big tour in Europe, singing for the Communauté Européene de Bruxelles, to the Queen of Belgium, to Vienna, Moscow, Saint-Petersburg, Paris, London, Verona...and Lebanon (Festival de Beiteddine), and several masterclasses with Andreas Scholl, Robert Expert and Fabrice di Falco.


Mira Akiki, SopranoMarc Reaidy, TenorOlga Bolun, PianoDEC 20 / 8:00 PMST. ELIE CHURCH KANTARI

MIRA AKIKI

Mira Akiki was born in July 1988, in Kfardebian-Lebanon. She entered the music field at the age of 8.In 2006, she discovered her passion for singing and began her operatic courses in the Lebanese National Higher Conservatory of Music, with Mrs. Galina Khaldeeva and continued afterwards with her current teacher Toufic Maatouk.In February 2015, she earned her Diploma in Opera from the Lebanese National Higher Conservatory of Music with honors. To reinforce her vocal skills, she took part in Master Classes with different international opera singers and maestros.

MARC REAIDY

Marc Reaidy studied classical singing at Ecole des Arts Ghassan Yammine, with Russian Professor Galina Khaldeeva. Currently, he is working with Professor Arax Chekidjian.Mark Reaidy's repertoire includes oratorio and opera music from different composers; mainly Italian, French, English… (Puccini, Leoncavallo, Mascagni, Cilea, Rossini, Bizet, Gounod, Handel, Haydn etc.) Given his Russian Professor and fluency in Russian language, he also enjoys a rich operatic and lied repertoire of Russian composers such as Tchaikovsky, Rachmaninov, Sviridov, Glinka...

pedagogy at the Institute of Musicology in Lyon, France, and has participated in several internships in London, Germany and France thus completing a degree in the training, direction and musical initiation of children’s choirs. Her dedication as Choirmaster of La Chanterie de Beyrouth has won her the Chevalier des Palmes Académiques award from the French Government and the Medal of Order of Isabel the Catholic from the Spanish Government, as well.

Founder and Choirmaster of the Lebanese Children’s Choir, Noha Hatem established La Chanterie de Beyrouth around fifteen years ago. Its mission is to promote and nurture young musical talent and contribute to the Lebanese cultural scene. Between 6 and 14 of age, and hailing from different backgrounds, these children express their love of song and music by joining the Choir and engaging in various musical events throughout Lebanon.Noha Hatem studied musicology and

NOHA HATEM, CONDUCTORISABELLE ISSAHAKIAN, PIANO DEC 21 / 4:00 PM

SAINT SAUVEUR CHURCH, MONOT

La Chanterie De Beyrouth

Orchestre et Chorale du College Notre-Dame de Jamhour

DEC 21 / 7:00 PMNOTRE DAME DES DONS (AL ATAYA) CHURCH

The Jamhour Choir was initially founded in 2010, to perform Taizé prayers and chants every Friday during Lent. It was formed of a small group of secondary school students; that is, 25 singers and 5 musicians.At first, the founders were not expecting their Choir to take off the way it did!The initiators of the project were Father Denis Meyer S.J, who is currently the spiritual leader of the School and Mr. Haytham Azzi, composer and music instructor who graduated from Kaslik University with a Master’s degree in Musicology. Following the success of the weekly Taizé prayer sessions, the Jamhour Choir decided to perform during the annual college fair. And so the journey began!

In 2011, a year after the first concert was held, the College Notre Dame de Jamhour founded its Music School with the accreditation of the Lebanese Government. The school rector Father Bruno Sion Sj, the spiritual leader Father Denis Meyer sj, and the supervisor of sports and artistic activities Miss Alice Keyrouz fully supported M. Haytham Azzi, who initiated the project and is today, the Music School’s director.One objective of this project was to provide students with music lessons, in order to eventually enlarge the Choir and the Orchestra.

By 2011, the number of Choir members increased to 70 singers and 10 musicians.

BertrandChamayou,PianoDEC 21 / 8:00 PMST. JOSEPH CHURCHMONOT

VICTOIRES DE LA MUSIQUE 2011

One of France’s foremost pianists, Bertrand Chamayou has garnered international recognition for his virtuoso technique, insightful musicianship and striking originality across a vast repertoire.

Chamayou appears with the world’s finest orchestras, including the New York Philharmonic, Cleveland Orchestra, Leipzig’s Gewandhausorchester, the London Philharmonic, Philharmonia Orchestra, the Staatskapelle Berlin, Wiener Symphoniker, Tonhalle Orchestre Zurich, the Orchestra dell’Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia, and NHK Symphony Orchestra, Tokyo, among many others. He has had the privilege of sharing the stage with maestros Pierre Boulez and Sir Neville Marriner, and counts among his regular partners at the podium Semyon Bychkov, Charles Dutoit, Mikko Franck, Philippe Herreweghe, Philippe Jordan, Andris Nelsons, François-Xavier Roth, Tugan Sokhiev, Stéphane Denève and Emmanuel Krivine.

Bertrand Chamayou is signed to Erato as an exclusive recording artist. His critically acclaimed double album of Ravel’s complete works for piano (2016) received an ECHO Klassik award and Gramophone Editor’s

Choice. His Schubert recital album (2014), also for Erato, was praised by BBC Music Magazine for ‘impressive reserves of articulation and firepower [and] his expressive touch.’ Liszt’s complete Années de pèlerinage, recorded for Naïve, received a Choc (Classica), a Diapason d’Or de l année and Best Album at the Victoires de la Musique Classique.


MR. NABILBUSTROS

Le Choeur de l’USJ


MESSIAHGEORGE FRIDERIC HANDEL (1685 - 1759)

YASMINA SABBAH, CONDUCTORMARIE-JOSÉE MATAR, SOPRANO MATTEO EL KHODR, COUNTERTENORHAITHAM HAIDAR, TENOR

C L O S I N G C O N C E R T

Founded in 2015, the USJ Choir assembles today over fifty singers of different ages, professions and backgrounds. In collaboration with members of the Lebanese Philharmonic Orchestra, as well as the Jeunesses Musicales du Liban Orchestra, the choir has covered a large and varied repertoire ranging from Baroque music to Contemporary music. It is in the choir’s mission to introduce well known masterpieces, as well as obscure works to the public. The USJ Choir aims to contribute in raising Lebanese choral music to international standards and to keep spreading the joy of singing.Full biographies at beirutchants.com

B E I R U TC H A N T S F E S T I V A L W I S H E S Y O U A

MerryChristmas

NOTE: As the situation in the country remains uncertain, venues & concerts are subject to change. Please always refer to beirutchants.com for updates.

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