The Lebanese National Conservatory

In 1910 a School of Music (Dar-el-Musica) was founded in Beirut (Lebanon) by Mr. Wadih Sabra, a pupil of Lavignac and former organist of the Church of the Holy Spirit in Paris. This private school was endowed by the Maison Pleyel with an annual prize consisting of a piano of that make, intended to be presented to the pianist-pupil ranked first in the institution's annual competitions. Thanks to the generosity of the Pleyel directors, nine pianos were sent to Lebanon for this purpose up to 1927. After the First World War Mr.

Sabra returned to Paris to collaborate with Mr. Gustave Lyon on the question of the Arab scale. On his return from Paris, he resided in Cairo. Called upon in 1924 by the Lebanese Government to take over the direction of a National Conservatory, he settled permanently

in Lebanon.

The program of this Conservatory comprised: A course in solfège and theory Two courses in piano A course in the transcription of Arab music A course in violin A course in violoncello A course in singing A course in Arabic singing A course in the history of music

In 1926 a musical comedy, words by Chamboulan, music by W. Sabra, was performed for the first time in Lebanon, followed in 1927 by the first opera in the Arabic language, in three acts, by W. Sabra, which was performed six times and revived four years later.

In 1938 Gounod's opera "Mireille" was performed by the pupils of the Conservatory, with a success borne out by the congratulations addressed to the Director of the Conservatory by Mme Gounod-Lassus, daughter of the great composer. From 1943 onward, the National Conservatory underwent a considerable expansion. The number of pupils, which stood at some sixty in 1925, rose to 200 in 1943 and to 300 in 1947.

The teachers at present number 32, distributed among the classes listed below: Two classes of Arabic singing Two classes of Arab violin Three classes of lute One class of