Author: themusicretreat

We have lost a dear member of the Retreat family, oud player and vocalist Victor Abdunnur. Deepest condolences to his wife Maha Shakhashiri and the family. Both Maha and Victor attended the Retreat many times. Their zest for life and Read More …

On January 31, 2021, we held a Celebration of Life on zoom to honor Michel Merhej (1928-2020) and Bassam Saba (1959-2020), our dear faculty members who passed away due to COVID-19. We paid tribute to the wonderful achievements and personalities Read More …

We are devastated to report that one of our leading faculty members, nay and flute virtuoso Bassam Saba, passed away on December 4, 2020 from COVID-19 complications. Bassam was a founding faculty member of the Arabic Music Retreat. His passing Read More …

Laura Shaheen, known to her family and friends as Lulu, left us and this world on August 12th, 2020. Born in Palestine to a family with a deep love of music, Lulu was the sister of Rosette Shaheen and brothers Read More …

On April 20, 2020, our lead percussion teacher, Michel Merhej, passed away from Covid-19. Mr. Merhej was a founding faculty member of the Arabic Music Retreat, and taught at every Retreat since 1997. He was a beloved member of our Read More …