Bio
Bassam Saba, originally from Lebanon, is one of the nation's leading figures of Arabic music - a world-renowned virtuoso and multi-instrumentalist of the nay, oud, violin, buzuq and saz and western flute. Saba studied nay, oud and violin at the Lebanon National Conservatory. He received his BA in Western Classical music and Flute Performance at the Conservatoire Municipal des Gobelins in Paris, and holds a Masters in Western Flute Performance and Music Education from the prestigious Gnessin Musical Pedagogical Institute in Moscow. He has worked extensively with the biggest stars of the Arab world, including Fairouz (the diva of Lebanon) Marcel Khalife, Ziad Rahbani, Simon Shaheen and Wadi El-Safi; pop and classical artists Yo-Yo Ma, Sting, Alicia Keys and Santana; and jazz legends Quincy Jones, Herbie Hancock and Sonny Fortune. Saba performs with Simon Shaheen's Al-Qantara and Near Eastern Music Ensemble, and Yo-Yo Ma's Silk Road Ensemble. As a soloist, he has performed with prestigious philharmonics around the world and has toured throughout the Middle East, Europe, the Americas, Australia, NZ, Africa and Japan.
Regarded by the world as a true pioneer of the nay, Saba was sought after by many of the greatest Arab, Western classical, and Western pop icons. Of note, Saba recorded on Sting’s recently-released album If on a Winter’s Night, and is the featured soloist of Daniel Schnyder’s Nay Concerto, the first concerto dedicated to the instrument, performed in philharmonics throughout the world. Saba is also a pioneer of the western classical flute, upon which he displays the rare ability to play the Arabic microtonal system.
As one of the most sought-after teachers of Arabic music, Saba has led numerous Arabic workshops, lectures, orchestras and ensembles worldwide. Since 2007, Saba has directed the prestigious 30-member New York Arabic Orchestra, a non-for-profit organization committed to the performance and education of Arabic music. The NYAO is presently sponsoring the Arabic Music Semester Intensive (AMSI), a national educational initiative pioneering a “college-course” approach to studying Arabic music, featuring ongoing monthly workshops of in-depth and comprehensive theoretical and practical study. Saba performs his original music with the Bassam Saba Ensemble, premiering music from the newly-released album "Wonderful Land."
To purchase the new CD "Wonderful Land," or for more information about Bassam Saba and the Bassam Saba Ensemble (sextet), visit:
WWW.BASSAMSABA.COM
