NOTRE-DAME UNIVERSITY CHOIR - LOUAIZE

Lebanese Choir

The Notre-Dame University Choir - Louaizé was first formed in October of 1993 under the direction of Reverend Fr. Khalil Rahme, a Mariamite monk, and with the encouragement and support of the Maronite Mariamite Order. The choir is formed of a number of professionals as well as students of the School of Music.

Performances:

1-	Lebanon:	-1997:	Beirut, participation in the Mass of the Holy Pope.
		-2000:	Baalbek Festivals.
		-2005:	Al-Bustan Festival
		-2006:	Al-Bustan Festival.
2-	Italy:	-1999:	The Pantheon in Roma.
		-1999:	International Loreto Festival.
		-2003:	Basilica San Pietro In Vincoli, Roma.
		-2006:	Urbino, Bari, Consenza & Roma.
		-2006:	Basilica Pietro in Vincoli, Roma.
3-	France:	-1998:	Lyon and Paris.
		-2001:	Aix-en-Provence, Nice, Toulon, Marseille, Arle, Carcassone, Château valon, Orange, Gap, Nante.
		-2003:	Lisieux.
		-2005:	Lisieux.
4-	Jordan:	-1996:	Frère de La Salle Amman.
		-2004:	By invitation of Queen Nour, Royal Hotel Amman.
		-2006:	Jarash and Royal Cultural center in Amman.
5-	Syria:	-2003:	Opera of Damas.

Performed:

-	1998	:	Socrates composed by Mr. Mansour Rahbani.
-	2000	:	Saul of Tarsus composed by Mr. Naji Hakim.
-	2000	:	Mouachahat, Mr. Marcel Khalifeh.
-	2000	:	The Maronite Mass, composed by Mr. Mansour Rahbani.
-	2000	:	Song of Songs composed by Zad Moultaka.
-	2001	:	The Gospel of St. John: composed by Mr. Abed Azarieh, arranged by Mr. Benoit Urbain.
-	2003	:	The Maronite Requiem by Abbot Francois Eid arranged by Mr. Benoit Urbain.
-	2006	:	Opera Abu Hassan, composed by Carl Maria Von Weber.
-	2006	:	Reqiuem Flamenco composed by Paco Peña.

Repertoire:

The repertoires of international composers: Mozart, L. Van Beethoven, G.F. Haendel, Rossini, J.S. Bach, Faure, Marc Antoine Charpentier, Verdi, Michael Haydn, Carl Maria Von Weber, Valentino Miserachs, Paco Pena, as well as Lebanese composers

Orchestras performed with:

The Symphony Orchestra of the National Conservatory of Boulogne Billacourt, the International Orchestra of Rome, Orchestra des Jeunes de la Méditerranée, the Euro Arab Orchestra, Orchestra Interuniversitaria Di Roma, Orchestra da Camera di Mantova, The Symphony Orchestra of the Lebanese National Conservatory, Paco Peña and Company (Flamenco Orchestra), Orchestre du Grand Theatre de Reims, Orchestre national de Chambre de Moldavie.

Soloists performed with:

Aida Tomb (Ronza), Fadia Tomb El Hage, Rima Taweel Makdessi, Leina Farah, Joumana Mdawar, Ghada Shbeir, Simon Obeid, among others, in addition to the Children’s Choir of Notre-Dame of Louiazé that was established by Fr. Khalil Rahme towards the end of 1993.

Discography:

The Choir has produced a number of CD’s:

Glory we Give (Majdan Nouhdi) with the Symphonic Orchestra of the National Conservatory of Boulogne Billancourt - The Maronite Requiem by Abbot Francois Eid - Chants Religieux - Chants Religieux (Noël) - Concert of the inauguration of the Monastery of St. Anthony – Rome with the Orchestra Interuniversitaria Di Roma, Rome 2003 – “Ossa Zgheereh w Hob Kbeer” (A Small Story and A Great Love) (The Children’s Choir of Notre-Dame of Louaizé School) - The Bells of Joy (Jrass Il Farha) (The Children’s Choir of Notre-Dame of Louaizé School) - Oratorio of Father Yacoub the Capucin (CD and DVD) - Your Prayer with us - Hymns for Saints – Ana Maakom.

FATHER KHALIL RAHME,

Choirmaster and Composer.

Born in Becharre, Lebanon in 1962. He was ordained priest of the Maronite Mariamite Order in 1987.

Education:

The Pontifical University of “Laterano” in Rome, studied philosophy and theology.

Studied musical theory and notation, piano, classical and Gregorian singing, and earned degrees from the School of Music “T.L. La Victoria”, and from the conservatory “Santa Cecilia” in Rome.

Pursued studies in music composition for the organ with Maestro Valentino Miserachs.

Posts held:

Director of the School of Music at Notre Dame University – Louaizé that he established in 1992.

Founder and director of the “Notre Dame University Choir of Louaizé” since 1993.

Founder of the children’s choir at Notre Dame of Louaizé School.

He is also an instructor of musical theory, notation, and choir singing at the Lebanese National Higher Conservatory of Music.

Activities:

He wrote many religious chants and hymns for various occasions (the Nativity, the Passion and Resurrection, the Holy Virgin, the Saints, etc…), as well as a mass for children. He has written the music for the documentary, “Close to Heaven”; he put the melodrama “l’Espoir” in music, he also wrote the music to the Oratorio of Father Yacoub the Al Kabbouchi and two theatre pieces for Deir El Kamar. He recorded many CD’s with the NDU choir.

AIDA TOMB - RONZA

Lebanese opera singer

Miss Aida Tomb (Ronza) is one of the very few Lebanese opera singers performing in both the classical and the oriental styles of music . She holds a degree in classical singing, and another in opera from the National Conservatory, with tutor Mrs. Badiha Haddad . She has also had one year formation of lyrical performance with Mrs. Yolla Nassif.

She also holds a bachelor degree in Psychology from the Lebanese University. Miss Tomb has performed in many theatre musicals (with the Rahbani’s), and has recorded a number of TV programs in Lebanon and in the Arab countries .

She was a soloist in almost all the religious and secular concerts given by the choir of Mr. Toufic Succar, in Lebanon and in Rome( in the presence of his Holiness Pope John Paul II). She received the first prize of interpretation at the festival of Arab television in Tunisia in 1988.

Presently, she is a teacher of occidental classical singing and musical theory and notation at the superior National Conservatory in Beirut .In 1993, she recorded a CD entitled “the Phoenix” (music composition by Samir Tomb) .