APJ

APJ Alumni update with Yasmina Sabbah, choir and orchestra conductor and the only local Lebanese female Western music conductor to conduct an orchestra in Lebanon

One of the notable members of the Association Philippe Jabre alumni, Yasmina Sabbah, recently returned to Lebanon after a 10-month stint as conductor of the Firdaus Orchestra at EXPO Dubai to continue her musical career and her mission to shape the musicians of the future.

Back in her homeland, she continues in her role as music director of Saint Joseph University in Beirut.

“My aim is to keep growing as a conductor and musician by building bridges between Lebanon and the world through music. How wonderful would it be to have orchestras and choirs from all over the world perform with us in Lebanon, but also, be able to tour the world with our local artists and show them what Lebanese culture truly is,” she says.

She left for close to one year in June 2021 for the EXPO Dubai for what she calls a fantastic opportunity to represent Lebanon in one of the biggest world cultural events, stand up for women in positions of leadership and, importantly, to keep growing as a musician and conductor.

“I was offered a unique opportunity to conduct the Firdaus Orchestra, the first female orchestra in the MENA region under the patronage of Oscar winning composer AR Rahman. We also performed alongside great global icons such as Andrea Bocelli, Christina Aguilera, Anoushka Shankar and more. The EXPO productions were mesmerizing, and it was magical to perform in front of more than 3,000 audience members coming from all around the world,” explains Yasmina.

Within six months, the orchestra performed eight different concerts, including the opening and closing ceremonies of the EXPO, with a diverse repertoire ranging from classical symphonic works to great movie themes, Middle Eastern and Indian music, and commissioned compositions. The Firdaus is not a conventional orchestra: it features Western, Oriental and Eastern instruments and its musicians come from 23 different nationalities.

“It was a fascinating challenge to find the unique voice and sound of this orchestra, bringing together West and East,” she adds.

Back in her “old” position now at the Saint Joseph University choir and orchestra, Yasmina feels blessed that she can wake up every morning to pursue something that she strives for.

“I absolutely love my job,” Yasmina says. “What I specifically like about this position is that the job is very versatile and covers a wide range of responsibilities. Of course, the main responsibility is music. This ranges from the artistic direction of the choir and concerts (choosing the music, the program and the guest artists), rehearsing and conducting the choir and orchestra, to all the production side (social media, campaigns, fundraising, concert planning and managing) and even post-production tasks.”

For more than two years now, Yasmina has been serving as president of the Jeunesses Musicales du Liban, an NGO that offers opportunities for young Lebanese musicians to learn and to perform. Yasmina has been a volunteer conductor at JML for many years.

Despite the Covid-19 pandemic and the economic crisis in Lebanon, the JML orchestra has continued to put on concerts in collaboration with the Saint Joseph University choir. Offering free concerts to the audience and a learning experience for young and growing musicians is a way to give back to the community. The JML’s activities help shape the musicians of the future, who will hopefully help keep the music alive in Lebanon.

“This goes in line with the ‘Pay it forward’ principle of the Association Philippe Jabre as we help the community grow, maintain the culture and music, and offer equal learning opportunities and cultural opportunities to all,” Yasmina says.

The scholarships that the Association Phillipe Jabre grants to Lebanese students also includes support for young local talents pursuing a career in music, arts and culture. Yasmina is one of the former APJ scholars and thanks to the financial support from the association she was able to complete her master’s in Choral Studies at Cambridge University.

“I am eternally grateful to the APJ’s monumental role in my life. Thanks to the APJ, I was able to study in one of Europe’s most prestigious universities to get my master’s degree,” Yasmina says.

The APJ’s continued support for culture and the arts

Over its 20 years of existence, the APJ continues to support Lebanese cultural initiatives and associations. It has provided financial support for the Baalbeck festival, the Al Bustan festival, the cultural activities of the Swiss Embassy, the Beirut Art Center, and many other music and arts initiatives in Lebanon. Moreover, the APJ has played a major role in the life of the Saint Joseph University choir and orchestra by being one of its regular concert sponsors.

“With the severe economic crisis, our concerts since 2019 would not have been possible without the understanding and incomparable generosity of Mr. Philippe Jabre. Thanks to his contribution, we were able to continue in our cultural mission and the creation of outstanding performances, inspirational education projects, providing work opportunities to an entire sector and developing the musicians of the future,” Yasmina says.

With the support she received over the years, Yasmina never stops dreaming about future opportunities and special performances.

“I hope to be able to conduct a concert in Switzerland in the near future,” she adds.

You can catch the highlights of Yasmina Sabbah’s journey with the Firdaus Orchestra at EXPO 2020 Dubai in this short clip: