Antonine University Choir
Antonine University Choir, that is an integral part of the Faculty of Music and Musicology of the Antonine University (First music program accredited in the Mena region by Music Quality Enhancement Agency), is celebrating this year its 42th anniversary of foundation. 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 of the Antonine University has performed concerts and done tours in: Rome, Milan, Nice, Lyon, Monaco, St. Étienne, Doha, Dubai, Al Aïn in United Arab Emirates, Jordan, Bahrain, Cyprus, Tbilisi, Paris, New york, Los Angeles, Muscat, Naples, Venice and Helsinki. It has participated in the Classical Music Festival of Al Ain (United Arab Emirates 2008-2009), Al Bustan International Festival (2009/2020), Byblos International Festival (2010-2011-2013-2014), Baalbeck International Festival (2011-2018/2020), Beirut Chants Festival-Lebanon (2008/2019), Ehdeniyat (2016), Tbilisi Opera Festival (2012), Festival d'Ile de France (2012-2013), and Bahrain International Music Festival (2013). In May 2010, April 2013 and May 2015, the choir performed at the legendary Carnegie Hall in New York. It made its Los Angeles debut in April 2014, performing at the Marsee auditorium at El Camino College, and the LA City Hall. In November 2016, the choir also made its debut at the San Carlo opera house performing Mozart’s “Requiem” together with the choir of Teatro Di San Carlo at the Duomo in Naples. In addition, the choir has represented Lebanon in the opening of the Lebanese Pavilion at the 57th Venice Biennale in May 2017 and performed the premiere of “ŠamaŠ Itima” (Obscure sun), a 32 voices a cappella piece composed by Zad Moultaka. Lately, the choir has reproduced ŠamaŠ Itima in Helsinki, Verdi’s Traviata at Al Bustan festival and Mozart’s Cosi fan tutte with the Lebanese Philharmonic Orchestra, Amazonian Opera House Teatro Amazonas in Manaus (Brasil).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).The numerous CDs of the Maronite religious traditions of Antonine University’s choir have been produced by the university itself.

Notre-Dame University Choir- Louaizé
With more than a dozen concerts per season, numerous recordings and publications, as well as many international awards, the Notre Dame University Choir is one of Lebanon and the region’s outstanding choirs. A broad repertoire, a richly warm sound, an unmistakable interpretation all contribute to make it a permanent partner of the international festivals, and the Lebanese Philharmonic Orchestra and its conductors, where it functions as a musical ambassador for Beirut in the great concert halls around the world.Along with the symphonic choral central repertoire, the annual season programing of the choir includes a wide range of Lebanese music, in close cooperation with celebrated composers, such as Iyad Kanaan, Gabriel Yared and Valentino Miserachs Grau, with the aim of developing and growing the Lebanese choral repertoire. Furthermore, Notre Dame University Choir is constantly developing new and unusual ways of experiencing choral music.Since its establishment in 1993, it has been shaped by reverend Khalil Rahme, a Maronite Mariamite monk, who returned to Beirut after completing his music studies in Rome, to found the choir and the School of Music at Notre Dame University, in addition to his numerous entrusted tasks at the Lebanese National Conservatory of Music.

Father Khalil Rahme o.m.m., Choirmaster
Founder and director of the Notre Dame University Choir and School of Music since 1992, faculty member and choir director at the National Higher Conservatory of Music of Beirut, and chaplain general of the Sovereign order of Malta in Lebanon since 2011. Born in Bcharre, Rahme completed his studies in Philosophy  and Theology at the Pontifical Lateran University, as well as his studies in music composition at the Tomás Luis de Victoria School of Music and the Santa Cecilia conservatory in Rome, under the tutoring of Valentino Miserachs. As a composer, Rahme generously contributed to the enrichement of the Maronite sacred repertoire. His catalogue presents various hymns and motets for different liturgical occasions, a Mass for children choir, documentary music (Qarīban mina ssamā’, l’Espoir, etc.), operettas (Anā ma’akom, Maryam fī masīirati ša’bi llāh, etc.), and oratorios (St. Paul, The Maronites and the Glory of Lebanon, etc.). His discography features a dozen of discs, most of them with the Notre University Choir.

Toufic Maatouk o.a.m., 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).