Closing Beirut Chants 2022

MIRA AKIKI, SOPRANO
Mira Akiki, a Lebanese coloratura Soprano, with more than 10 years of professional experience, known for mastering Vocal and Acting techniques with high agility and delicacy. She discovered her passion for music when she was 5, every time she heard her father playing the piano. After joining the NDU choir at the age of 11, her piano teacher discovered her vocal power.
After joining the NDU choir at the age of 11, her piano teacher discovered her vocal power.
She joined the Lebanese Higher Conservatory of Music six years later, and graduated in Opera Singing in 2015 with honors, class of Fr. Toufic Maatouk.
She had the privilege to work with renowned international singers and vocal coaches namely Elizabeth Norberg Schulz, Cinzai Forte, Luciana D'Intino, Caterina Di Tonno, Simone Alaimo, Joyce El Khoury, Shady Torbey, Xenia Preisenberger and many others, and has collaborated with international directors as Marco Spada, Alessio Pizzech, Roberto Catalano, Mirana Naim, and Joseph Sassine.
Mira played many roles in different operas. She was Frasquitta in Carmen (2012), Marcellina in Mozart’s “Nozze di Figaro” (2013), Berta in Rossini’s “Barbiere di Siviglia” (2014 & 2017), Despina in Mozart’s “Cosi fan tutte” (2015), Adina in Donizetti's “L’Elisir d’amore” (2016), Barbarina in “Nozze di Figaro” (2018).
Mira was spotted performing in different local and international festivals and events including Beirut Chants festival, Al Bustan festival, the Lebanese National Museum, Expo Milan, The Opera house of Muscat, Al Hussein Cultural Center in Jordan.
Mira enjoys ensemble works. She is currently member and soloist in the Antonine University Choir since 2016.
Her passion and knowledge led her not only to perform, but also to share her vocal experience with new talents. Her approach to teaching is drawing on a strong background in vocal pedagogy and deep knowledge of vocal system anatomy, and based on more than 10 years of experience in teaching and mentoring singers of all levels, ages and musical styles, and choirs.
In 2019, she launched her online classroom, offering customized courses and trainings in complete vocal techniques for singers from all over the world.

LOUISA EL KHOURY, Soprano
Louisa El Khoury is a Lebanese opera singer and pianist. She started learning piano at the age of 8 and singing opera at the age of 18, coached by Toufic Maatouk, and had master classes by international artists Catherina Di Tonno and Joyce Khoury. Having a powerful Dramatic Soprano voice, a stunning vocal range, and a passion for performing, she has been able to establish a strong connection with her audience and build an incredible reputation in the industry that enabled her to succeed on local and regional levels.

Louisa has been a soloist with the Lebanese Orchestra, 2013-2016, and with the USJ choir, 2016-2019 where she regularly performed at high-profile events and ceremonies. In the past years, Louisa has been numerously featured in international events and performed in Italy and Saudi Arabia. In 2020, Louisa joined the NDU Choir and has been an active member ever since.

To inspire and encourage others to follow their passion, Louisa teaches piano and singing for individuals from different age groups and she has held numerous events to showcase the talents she’s nurturing.

OLGA BOLUN, PIANO
Olga Bolun was born in a family of great musicians and remarkable educators (horn player and harp teacher). Since her debut in music at age of 5 studying harp and piano, she impressed with her remarkable talent for music and eye-catching ability to learn.
Mrs. Bolun graduated in her higher music degree in Piano specialization from the State Academy of Music from Chisinau, Moldova. According to Educational Perspectives Chicago, it’s the US equivalency of Master’s Degree in Music.
Before moving to Beirut, Mrs. Bolun was teaching at the National Academy of Music from Bucharest, Romania, titled as university lector - collaborative pianist.
In Lebanon, she proved her outstanding music skills successfully performing an impressively large chamber music program and by numerous collaborations with leading Lebanese, European and US artists, under the umbrella of the Lebanese National Higher Conservatory of Music and the Lebanese Philharmonic Orchestra.
Mrs. Bolun is a permanent invitee of local and International Festivals in the Middle East.
Apart from performing and touring nationally and internationally, Mrs. Olga Bolun teaches piano at the Lebanese National Higher Conservatory of Music.

Charles Eid, Tenor
Charles Eid, aged 24 years old, is a Lebanese Mozartian/Rossinian Tenor. He's the student of the esteemed Maestro Toufic Maatouk. For the last 8 years, he studied opera at the Antonine University Music Conservatory, attended several masterclasses from various professional opera singers, gaining a large set of skills. Charles attended the German Lyric Opera Studio Weimar’s Summer Program in August 2022, performing 6 sets of Die Fledermaus - Strauss, playing the roles of Alfred and Dr. Blind. In spite of his young age, he has a wide and professional music repertoire as a soloist and performed in many operas (Mozart’s Le Nozze Di Figaro, Donizetti’s L’Elisir D’Amore...), sacred works (Gounod’s St. Cecilia Mass, Handel’s Messiah...) and other events in several countries around the world. He was a vocal coach at the Conservatory in Bikfaya - Lebanon for 3 years. Adding to his musical career, Charles is an accomplished Software Engineer.

Marc Reaidy BAZ, TENOR
Marc Reaidy Tenor studied classical singing at Ecole des Arts Ghassan Yammine, with Russian Professor Galina Khaldeeva. Currently, he is working with Professor Arax Chekidjian.
‍
He attended many vocal and dramatic workshops and master classes mainly in Lebanon, Russia, France and the United States.
‍
Marc Reaidy’s repertoire includes oratorio and opera music from different composers; mainly Italian, French, English… (Puccini, Leoncavallo, Mascagni, Cilea, Rossini, Bizet, Gounod, Handel, Haydn etc.) Given his Russian Professor and fluency in Russian language, he also enjoys a rich operatic and lied repertoire of Russian composers such as Tchaikovsky, Rachmaninov, Sviridov, Glinka etc.

In 2013, He sang the leading role of Don José in Carmen de Bizet, an opera produced by The Lebanese Higher National Conservatory with the Lebanese Philharmonic Orchestra.

In June 2015, and given his dramatic abilities, he participated in Beirut spring festival whereby he played and sang the role of the Turkish Pasha (in Turkish Language), under the direction of Yvan Caracallah.

He has been known as a resident performer in many entertainment venues, as well as being part of many music productions and events taking place in Lebanon and in the Middle East, and Turkey.

Being an opera singer with a dramatic side, Marc Reaidy has been seen recently on TV performing as an actor.

Cesar Naassy, Bass-Baritone
Known for his striking stage presence and deep warm voice, Cesar finds himself particularly well in the works of Mozart. His notable vocal agility and cantabile voice, also allow him to tackle the Belcanto repertoire of Rossini, Bellini and Donizetti. Some of the roles he performed on stage include Raimondo in “Lucia di Lammermoor”, Dulcamara in “Elisir d'amore", Don Alfonso in “Così fan tutte”, Bartolo in “Le nozze di Figaro, Sarastro in “Die Zauberflöte”, The king of Scotland in “Ariodante” and Superintendant Bud in “Albert Herring” to name a few…
‍
Since the start of his singing career, he has performed on the international stage in renowned theatres, such as "Teatro San Carlo" in Naples, “Teatro Flavio Vespasiano” in Rieti, “Auditorium della Concigliazione” in Rome, all the way to “Théatre de l'Opéra de Montreal” and “Théatre Monument National” in Montreal.
‍
He has had the privilege to work with world renowned directors such as Charles Binamé, and has studied with international artists such as,Elisabeth Norberg Schultz, Caterina Ditonno, Cinzia Forte, Roberto Frontali and Toufic Maatouk. He also holds two Masters degrees in Musicology and Performance, one of which from the prestigious McGill University in Montreal.

Program

BOOK YOUR CONCERT

Join our Mailing List