The Faculty of Music and Musicology (FMM) at Antonine University (UA) held its second student concert of the academic year on April 30, 2025, at Our Lady of the Seeds Monastery on the Hadat–Baabda Campus. The event showcased the talent and versatility of advanced FMM students under the mentorship of Ms. Janna Popkova and Dr. Ghassan Sahhab, featuring a program that explored two rich musical legacies: Baroque chamber music and Nahḍa-era musical tradition.

The evening began with Sonata Prima by Dario Castello, followed by Sonata for Violin and Harpsichord by Georg Friedrich Haendel and Corelli’s Sonata in D minor “La Folia,” Op. 5 No. 12. The performers, Nagham Al Zein (Baroque violin) and Ms. Janna Popkova (harpsichord and guidance), demonstrated refined technique and stylistic sensitivity throughout the Baroque set.

The second half shifted to Nahḍa-era music, with students performing a musical suite in maqam Rāst, drawn from the artistic musical tradition of the Mašriq. The first section featured Samā‘i Rāst by Ghassan Sahhab, followed by Ahennu Shawqan (attributed to ‘Abd al-Qādir al-Marāghī) and Yā Man La‘ibat Bihi Shamūlu (by Ahmad Abu Khalīl al-Qabbānī).

The second section focused on instrumental improvisation, showcasing taqāsīm mursala on the qānūn and taqāsīm muwaqqa‘a on percussion.

The third section opened with taḥmila in maqām Rāst Aqsāq composed by Mohammad Antar, followed by taqāsīm mursala on the ‘ūd and Siḥitu wajdan composed by Sayyid Darwish.

The performers included Tawfic Hatim (‘ūd), Hamza Hamiyyeh (qānūn), Samer Jaafar (violin), Joe Braydi (solo singing), Youssef Wehbe and Rany Kantar (riq and mizhar), Nour Aoun, Iman Zaytoun, and Shaden Safawi (vocals), under the supervision of Dr. Ghassan Sahhab. These singers and instrumentalists displayed exceptional technical mastery and expressive inventiveness in their improvisations.

The concert reaffirmed UA’s dedication to nurturing emerging musicians and promoting cross-cultural understanding through music. It was a vibrant celebration of artistic expression that highlighted the students’ depth, discipline, and interpretive range.