About

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Biography

Wajdi Samir Abou Diab, an artistic visionary hailing from Lebanon, draws inspiration from his dual cultural background in Arabic Levantine and Western classical music. born in Lebanon in 1991 and graduated from the Lebanese National Higher Conservatory of Music (LNHCM) with diplomas in Piano and Music Composition, where he learned from respected teachers such as Elia Koussa, Joelle Khoury, Jad Riashi, Jamal Boul-Hosn, Sevag Derghougassian, and Janna Popkova. In addition, he is currently pursuing his Master’s degree in Musicology of tradition from Antonin University under the supervision of Professor Nidaa Bou Mrad. Wajdi’s personal experiences and love for both the Arabic Levantine musical culture and the Western classical music culture led him to write his own unique music, which echoes the Arabic Mashriq musical history.

He has been recognized by the international music community through numerous accolades from competitions such as the first prize in the 2022 Emerging Composer Competition by Rising Tide Press and the International Women Brass Conference for his compelling composition “Folk Story” for Brass quintet, as well as special mentions from The Gaetano Giani Luporini prize and the American Viola Society’s Gardner Music Composition Competition for “The Dream” (chamber opera) and “Al Mouraba’ Dance” (solo viola) respectively. He has also received honorable mentions and special prizes from such platforms as the LIMF Composition Competition and “Cergy Pontoise orchestra-studio”. His work has been selected for various CALLS FOR SCORE such as “Deterritorializing the Realm of New Music”, “Ri Ra”, Cypress concert band call for score, and David Bohn’s and Talla Rouge’s 15 Minutes of Fame. His residency programs by CCF and Unesco as part of the NAFAS-ACCR program have also resulted in gaining opportunities such as month-long residencies at Cite Musicale De Metz (March 2022) and Cite Musicale De L’abbaye Aux Dames De Sainte (April 2022) making France more musically enriched thus gaining him the maximum advantage for his music career.

Wajdi shines as an Arranger/Orchestrator who introduces Arabic music to non-Arabic musicians and audiences, linking the two cultures of Western and Oriental influences resulting in many tributes to the greatest musicians of the Arab world like Zaki Nassif, Wadih El Safi, Om Kolthoum, Abed El Wahab, Rahbani Brother, Feyrouz, and many others. His piano books “ARABIC FOLK TUNES”, “LONGA AND SAMA’I”, and “Wadeeh El Safi – the Songwriter” are created to introduce pianists and classical musicians to Arabic music, and his orchestral arrangements of Arabic folk tunes, popular and classical songs, and traditional and classical Arabic instrumental music have been performed in Arabic and non-Arabic countries.

An Artistic Director and Conductor, Wajdi effortlessly set his musical standards for his ensembles and orchestras by giving equal importance to technique, musicality, discipline, and repertoire. Founding the Beirut Contemporary Ensemble, Choueifat Band and Choir (CBCLEB), and Orchestra Al Mokhaym shows his diversified experience in working with all types of musicians from Professionals to beginners, with a repertoire spanning from classical to contemporary music, Arabic Folks, World Music, and film music.

Because of his belief in the power of music to engage with society, he has launched initiatives focusing on providing solutions for music education and creating more opportunities for young musicians to change society through music. His initiatives such as FREE MUSIC EDUCATION FOR ALL and THE LEBANESE LIVING COMPOSER’S CHANEL have built the trust and support of many patrons who believed in his projects and goals, earning him grants such as AFAC, the FREEMUSE mini-grant, CULTURAL RESSOURCES exceptional grant, and the support of the GOETHE institute, the CPML, the CCF, and the likes.

Wajdi has also dedicated his life to music education. He worked as a piano, music formation, and harmony teacher for over 8 years in the LEBANESE HIGHER CONSERVATORY OF MUSIC and several schools such as BAHRAIN BAYAN, HARIRI, and TAHADDI schools, where he discovered and practiced many music pedagogies. Wajdi applies these methods in his classes of music theory, choir, and musical formation, which enables him to develop his unique teaching philosophy and techniques in both individual and group classes, putting traditional and folk music at the center of his education pedagogy.

Wajdi’s passion for art and learning led him to study and work in various technological fields such as music technology, music production, video editing, recording, mixing, mastering, and music notation, among others.

Wajdi firmly believes in collaboration, leveraging his experiences as an opportunity to learn and share his experiences. He has collaborated on long-term projects with international groups, organizations, and artists, such as International Contemporary Ensemble, the Lebanese Philharmonic Orchestra, the Lebanese Oriental Orchestra, the Talla Rouge duo, the Austrasia Quartet, the Taipei Civic Symphony Orchestra, Tunisia 88 Honors Choir, the White Snake Project, Music For Identity, The San Jose Lullaby Project, Forum für Kunst- und Kulturgeschichte Transnational, choreographer and performer “Preeti Vasudevan”, Oudist Abbass Kassamany, pianist Kaiyin Huang, Violist Noemie Chemali, Pianist Ramzi Hakim, Violinist Ann Vedi, trumpetist Vasilis Nalbantis, French Horn player Louis Verchere, pianist Ramzi Hakim, Pianist Seba Ali, French horn player Amr Selim, among others. Wajdi’s collaboration also includes long-term participation in the World Music Conference (international, based in the UK) as a music ambassador for his country Lebanon.

Wajdi Samir Abou Diab is a proud member of many musical organizations, including the ACAN network, the MILLENNIUM COMPOSERS INITIATIVE (MCI), the Boston new music initiative (BNMI), and the SMCPL.