The entire Retreat family mourns the passing of Bob Davis, long-time Retreater and friend to many, on June 30, 2025. Bob was not only a friendly and enthusiastic participant, he was a talented musician on oud, and percussion, as well Read More …
Rest in Peace, Bob Davis
2025 Retreat Registration Open!
Registration for the 2025 Arabic Music Retreat is now open. The event will take place from August 9-16, 2025, in-person at Mount Holoyke College. All registration information is on the website. Hope you can join us for an entire week Read More …
William Shaheen, Rest in Peace
William Shaheen was the youngest of five siblings, a musician of the violin and oud, a composer, an optician, and a teacher. He was all of these things, and even then he was at his core an incredible brother, uncle Read More …
Rest in Peace, Victor Abdunnur
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 …
Celebration of Life Honoring Michel Merhej and Bassam Saba
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 …