Antonine University (UA) and the Maqām Festival (Multaqā Al-Mūsīqā Al-Maqāmiyya) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), marking a new step in their shared commitment to the preservation, study, and promotion of maqām music and its rich cultural heritage. The agreement was signed by UA Rector Fr. Michel Saghbiny and Maqām Festival President Ms. Dahlia Rashad.

The MOU aims to strengthen academic, cultural, and artistic cooperation in the field of maqām music, while supporting scientific research, artistic production, and knowledge exchange. It also seeks to develop joint initiatives and projects that contribute to preserving the modal system and its traditions, promoting them on solid scholarly and academic foundations, advancing their study and practice, and ensuring their transmission to future generations.

The initiatives and projects developed under this agreement will be carried out under the academic, scientific, and artistic supervision of Prof. Nidaa Abou Mrad, Dean of the Faculty of Music and Musicology (FMM) at UA.

About the Faculty of Music and Musicology

A leading academic music institution in Lebanon and the Arab world, UA’s FMM is dedicated to teaching and research in the musical traditions of the Mašriq and Europe, musicology, music education, neuromusicology, music therapy, and music technology. Through its accredited academic programs, the Faculty prepares students for a wide range of professional careers in music and related fields.

About the Maqām Festival

The Maqām Festival is an initiative established to revive and celebrate maqām (modal) musical traditions across West Asia, North Africa, and medieval Europe. Combining research, education, and performance, it seeks to ensure that maqām music, a cornerstone of Arab cultural heritage, continues to reach contemporary audiences in meaningful and relevant ways.

Through this partnership, UA and the Maqām Festival reaffirm their commitment to preserving and promoting musical heritage through education, research, artistic creation, and cultural exchange. The agreement further reflects UA’s mission to connect academic knowledge with artistic practice while contributing to the continuity and renewal of musical traditions for future generations.