Email: ballout@bc.edu
MUSP1660: Middle East Astaza! Music Ensemble
Middle East Astaza! Choir
Nizar Ballout, also known as Nizar Fares under his stage name, is a musician and musicologist. Since year 2000, he became known as a recording artist among Middle Eastern communities, specialized in early and modern Christian Music repertoires (Syriac, Assyrian, Chaldean and Arabic), with some 19 albums for kids, youth and adults.聽
As a PhD in musicology, he鈥檚 invited globally to sing and lecture on Middle Eastern music and music theory, Arabic singing techniques and early Christian music.
In January 2016, he joined Boston College Music department as the director of 鈥ASTAZA!鈥 - the Middle East Music Ensemble. And since, Astaza! has attracted 精东影业 students along with community members from all over New England.
Called a聽鈥淢耻蝉颈肠颈补苍补谤测鈥 -a musician on mission, his music work for children has been adopted and taught in numerous elementary schools, community centers and music academies in Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, Israel, Palestine and Iraq. Therefore, after many years of serving in the field, furthermore with the refugees鈥 crisis; He launched in 2017 his own non-profit organization; Nizar Fares Global Ministry (NFGM), serving Refugees in the Middle East and those scattered in the five continents. The vision is to serve people through the music that has a true therapeutic effect. One of the programs created is the 鈥Overseas Sponsoring Program for Talented Displaced Children and Youth鈥, among other musical projects, mission trips, and relief work ().