The President of the Higher National Institute of Music, composer Heba Kawwas, inaugurated a new branch of the National Conservatory in the town of Majidil, Jezzine District, under the patronage of Minister of Culture Judge Muhammad Wissam Al-Murtada and the blessing of the Maronite Bishop of Sidon, Bishop Maroun Ammar.
After the divine liturgy, which took place in honor of the Feast of St. Elias the Living, the patron saint of the town and led by Monsignor Kiwane representing Bishop Ammar, the new branch was inaugurated. The celebration was enlivened by musicians from the National Orchestra of Eastern Music and students from the Shuwayfat and Bakaalain branches, conducted by the law teacher and ensemble coordinator, Professor Adel Nasr Al-Din.
Attendees included Bishop Maroun Ammar, Minister of Social Affairs in the caretaker government Hector Hajjar, MPs Charbel Massaad (Mayor of Majidil), Osama Saad, and Melhem Khalaf, the coordinator of the "Future Movement" in the South Mazen Hashisho representing former MP Bahia Hariri, the Mayor of Majidil Elias Massaad, and several mayors and local dignitaries.
The event began with a welcoming speech by the master of ceremonies, Professor Hani Tanios, followed by remarks from Bishop Ammar, who praised the establishment of a branch of the institute in Majidil, emphasizing the importance of spreading music throughout Lebanese regions through the conservatory. He thanked President Kawwas for her contributions to the success of this significant step and commended the efforts of the Minister of Culture, MP Massaad, and Mayor Elias Massaad, which led to the opening of the higher music institute branch in the town.
President Kawwas then spoke, stating: "From the serene and ancient Majidil, today we continue the narrative of this nation's glory, a narrative we tell across all its regions, cities, and villages. We continue the path of music, which we aspire to reach every part of Lebanon, so that the conservatory in every region becomes a warm home for the generations of musicians, adding to the eighteen branches spread throughout Lebanon. Today, from the heart of the resilient South, under the protection of St. Elias the Living, we draw forth his blessed sword to raise it steadfastly from this holy ground, and in the other hand, we raise the baton of musical leadership, a symbol of unwavering faith in our spirituality and culture that have created the glory of this nation."
She added: "And beyond music, it is the brightest, deepest, and truest message we spread across the country and among its people and children, a bridge of cultural and global connection, the most precious heritage we offer to future generations who will carry the banner of knowledge, culture, authenticity, and humanitarian values. Our music is our weapon, and our culture is our inevitable direction toward the new modern world we aspire to see Lebanon on its map, returning Lebanon to its esteemed position in the world. Music is our message of peace that will inevitably triumph, and our meeting today in the proud South is the most genuine proof that Lebanon will remain a message of peace and a destination for culture, leadership, and civilization."
Meanwhile, MP Charbel Massaad, who played a significant role alongside his brother, Mayor Elias Massaad, in the establishment and success of the branch, stated that the will to live and steadfastness in the land of ancestors is the strongest, saying: "I congratulate you and the people of Jezzine and its surroundings, and all those who initiated the establishment of this institute, for the importance of music education in refining souls, molding them, and building a conscious and cultured human personality, especially when combined with serious study and rigorous education that guarantees the integration of arts and sciences for the benefit of human development. I believe that when the arts are coupled with the study of sciences, it guarantees the creation of aware and conscious generations that express their opinions freely, while at the same time acquiring science as a weapon and means of advancement, as art and music complement each other as nourishment for the soul and body."
He continued: "Ultimately, the will to live in the land of ancestors remains the strongest and will triumph over war and death. The strategies aimed at reinforcing a human-centered approach and the projects we have undertaken and will undertake in our region are good evidence of our steadfastness in this blessed land."
In conclusion, Al-Murtada emphasized "the role of music in reviving the spirit of love." He stated: "St. Elias the Living is one of the most popular saints in our country, and his feast certainly falls within that context. The occurrence of the feast in summer perhaps pushes it more into becoming a national season where expatriates and residents gather, along with villagers and those displaced to cities, a fact clearly observed in mixed areas where citizens gather to celebrate, as is happening today in this town and this church, not by launching artificial fireworks, but by launching a bright and resonant cultural arrow, embodied in the opening of a branch of the national conservatory, to spread music as a language of life among the people of the region without exception. This is the image of the desired nation that its children wish to live together in the grace of togetherness. However, what happens nearby, in the resistant South and in the devastated Gaza and all of Palestine, truly presents us with a fateful challenge in our quest to preserve the beautiful face of Lebanon, revealing two images of culture before us: the culture of a dignified life that our people insist upon and fight even to the point of martyrdom to attain for themselves and their future generations, and the culture of death that dominates the mentality of the occupying entity."
The celebration concluded with the official signing between the Chairwoman of the Conservatory's Board of Directors Heba Kawwas and Mayor Elias Massaad, followed by the presentation of commemorative gifts to Al-Murtada and Kawwas as a token of gratitude and appreciation.
