Arrangement and Composition with Saad H.

Saad is a composer of orchestral, chamber, vocal, and electroacoustic music who achieves a “remarkable fusion of idioms” (New York Times), most notably in his work exploring the disparate qualities inherent in Western art music and Middle Eastern musical tradition. His music delves into that relationship by transferring the performance techniques of traditional Arab instruments to Western symphonic instruments, while extending their capabilities through the advancement of technology. The 2017–18 season featured the premiere of Saad's first major string quartet, commissioned by the Lydian String Quartet, the premiere of Risala, co-commissioned by the Columbus and Princeton Symphony Orchestras, the premiere of Hawa, written for the Illinois Philharmonic Orchestra, performances of Takht by the Minnesota Orchestra and the Hangzhou Philharmonic Orchestra, and a performance of Kaman Fantasy by Symphony in C, among others. Recent distinctions include the Charles Ives Fellowship from the American Academy of Arts and Letters, the Barlow Endowment General Commission, the S&R Foundation Washington Award Grand Prize, the Jerome Fund for New Music grant from the American Composers Forum, the Palmer Dixon Award from the Juilliard School, the Aaron Copland Residency Award, and multiple awards from ASCAP, BMI, and the Vancouver Chamber Choir. His orchestral works have been performed by the American Composers Orchestra, Hangzhou Philharmonic, Illinois Philharmonic Orchestra, Kaleidoscope Chamber Orchestra, Los Angeles Philharmonic, Minnesota Orchestra, Symphony in C, and the symphony orchestras of Albany, Columbus, Milwaukee, New Jersey, Princeton, and Sioux City. His music has been broadcast on stations across the Unites States, including WWFM, MPR, WPRB, and KWIT/KOJI, among others. Born in Georgia and raised in California, Saad holds degrees in composition from the Juilliard School and the University of Southern California, where his principal teachers included John Corigliano, Mari Kimura, Bruce Broughton, Frank Ticheli, Stephen Hartke, and Donald Crockett. His music is published exclusively by Dib Press.