What began as a single concert in a university hall has become a cultural force with concerts across Lebanon. Founded in 2019 by Mahdi Anani and Wiaam Haddad, the AUB Classical Music Club is a student organization with a mission to disseminate classical music culture and offer a space for music enthusiasts and musicians to grow and cultivate their interest on campus and beyond.
The seeds for the club were planted in the fall of 2017, when Mahdi, then a premedical student, along with a few like-minded enthusiasts, formed the AUB Classical Music Community under the university’s Music Club umbrella. They organized their first concert in Assembly Hall in late 2017, attracting over 350 attendees, a turnout that was beyond their expectations. With an early success under their belt, they continued to hold recitals, each one proving that there was a real hunger for classical music among students both as performers and listeners. With growing ambitions, they realized that classical music needed its own dedicated club.
It was in these early days that Mahdi met Wiaam, a trained pianist and composer with years of classical music education. Their collaboration elevated the project from a student led concert series to something much bigger. “With Wiaam’s expertise, the project was able to grow,” Mahdi recalls. “We wanted autonomy, the ability to define our own vision, and a platform dedicated entirely to classical music. The Music Club was more focused on musical entertainment,” Mahdi explains. “But we wanted something different. We see classical music as an art that needs a different approach.
On December 5th, 2018, Wiaam and Mahdi gathered the necessary signatures to start a new club and secured a faculty adviser, Dr. Ramzi Sabra, a medical doctor and organist himself. They sprinted across campus in the rain to submit their official proposal. “I still have that paper,” Mahdi laughs. “The ink is smudged from the rain, but it marked the beginning of something special for us.”
From its inception, the Classical Music Club set itself apart through high standards for performance and active educational outreach. “We emphasize active listening,” Wiaam explains. “In popular music concerts, you have flashing lights, beats, and distractions. We believe music is not merely background noise; it is an art form. It is a language that offers tremendous value.”
The club actively challenges the notion that classical music is foreign to Lebanon. In fact, AUB was one of the first institutions to teach classical music through the AUB Music Institute, which ran from 1926 to 1949. The club recognizes, evokes, and builds on a rich local tradition of teaching, performance, and composition. In its concerts, the club actively encourages performances of local composers and new compositions, demonstrating classical music as a living art.
For Wiaam, the club has also been a personal artistic breakthrough. “I’ve always wanted to gain exposure as a composer, but there aren’t many platforms for that in Lebanon,” he says. “Thanks to the club’s platform, I was able to premiere my own compositions. It’s something I never thought would happen.”
The club has so far organized 34 recitals and concerts. What began as a campus initiative has grown far beyond the university gates. Their first off-campus concert took place in 2019 in Baskinta, Wiaam’s hometown, following an invitation from the town’s mayor. Since then, they have performed in Beit Tabaris, Mar Maron Gemmayzeh, Kempinski Hotel, the Baakline National Library, and even at the prestigious Beirut Chants Festival. “We never imagined we’d reach this level,” Mahdi says. “At first, our goal was just to organize recitals at AUB. But when we saw the students’ enthusiasm and the administration’s endorsement, we realized we could do so much more. We want future students to see that there’s no limit to what a student club can achieve.”
In popular music concerts, you have flashing lights, beats, and distractions. We believe music is not merely background noise; it is an art form. It is a language that offers tremendous value.