Bassam Saba, Renowned Proponent of Arabic Music, Dies at 62
A skilled multi-instrumentalist, he co-founded the New York Arabic Orchestra and directed Lebanon’s national conservatory of music. He died of complications of Covid-19.
Bassam Saba, a skilled violinist trained in Western music, also played the nay (an Arabic flute), the Western flute and the lute-like oud.Credit.Ghada Ghanem
By Kareem Chehayeb
Published Dec. 29, 2020Updated Jan. 8, 2021
This obituary is part of a series about people who have died in the coronavirus pandemic. Read about others
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Bassam Saba, a prominent Lebanese musician who promoted Arabic music in the West before going home late in his career to take over Lebanon’s national conservatory, died on Dec. 4 in Beirut, Lebanon. He was 62.