Youssef Hbeisch – Arabic Percussion Seminar

Youssef Hbeisch
Arabic Percussion Seminar

Purpose and educational content

– Develop skills through analysis of theoretical and practical concepts,
– Improve musical knowledge and instrumental technique,
– Develop analytical and listening skills;
– Broaden your practice of the classical and modern Arabic rhythmic repertoire through a variety of playing styles

Youssef Hbeisch proposes an innovative teaching method which included numerous exercises to improve expressive and technical skills which are needed to play rhythms and and their vocabulary of variations, to develop several ranges of of interpretation and improvisation. At the end of each seminar day, playing sessions are held to put into practice what has been learned.

Teacher’s biography

Born in 1967, Youssef Hbeisch started to play percussion at the age of seven, studying philosophy and musicology and researching rhythm of various traditions. Now a specialist in oriental percussion, he has mastered a variety of musical genres, which he blends into his playing to create a unique, refined and creative style praised by connoisseurs.

He taught for 8 years at the Edward Saïd National Conservatory of Music (East Jerusalem, Ramallah, Bet Lehem) and for ten years at Beit Al Musica (Galilee). He teaches university seminars and master classes (Festival de Salvador de Bahia (Brazil), Universities of Gothenburg (Sweden) and Aarhus (Denmark), Guildhall School (London). He leads percussion workshops designed to introduce young audiences to oriental music and the styles of diverse cultures. Other art-therapy workshops are close to his heart: for battered women, handicapped children, prisoners, etc., the aim is to develop personal expression, intercommunication and group dynamics. This wealth of experience has led him to develop an original teaching method for rhythm and percussion.

He has performed with a wide variety of ensembles: Simon Shaheen (classical oud), Süleyman Erguner (classical Ottoman and contemporary Turkish music), Aka Moon (modern jazz), Marie Keyrouz’s Ensemble de la Paix (sacred music), the Occitan group Lo Cor de la Plana, Rula Safar (baroque music), Issa Hassan (Kurdish bouzouq), the Saltanah ensemble with Dorsaf Hamdani, Ibrahim Maalouf (fusion), with Bratsch (Balkan, gypsy, oriental influences), Elie Maalouf (oriental jazz), Abed Azrie (contemporary Sufi), Karloma (contemporary Palestinian music) and the Oriental Music Ensemble (traditional Palestinian music). He has accompanied the Trio Joubran since 2007, with Ahmad al Khatib (Oud and contemporary oriental music) since 1998, with Huber Dupont (jazz) since 2010 and with duo Sabil with flamenco dancer Rocio Molina.

Language: Arabic, French and English
Level: advanced / intermediate