Born in Beirut, Lebanon, Harout Fazlian, Officier de l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres, is the Music Director of the Dubai Expo 2020 Music Department and Principal Conductor of the Lebanese Philharmonic Orchestra – LPO (formerly known as the Lebanese National Symphony Orchestra, where he assisted in its establishment). Fazlian played an essential role in rejuvenating and popularizing classical music to the wider Lebanese public

His masterly approach to sound and intensity reveals and projects his deep understanding of the score to the orchestra and audience. His repertoire ranges from Classical to Contemporary, specializing in Romantic and Late Romantic composers.

For Fazlian, a symphony orchestra is one of the most effective tools of cultural diplomacy. His collaboration with embassies and guest soloists not only places the LPO on the International music scene but also promotes Lebanon as a hub for refined art.

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He started his musical education at an early age in Beirut and pursued it in Montreal, Canada after he and his family immigrated there in 1976. From 1983 to 1990, he attended the National Conservatory of Music in Yerevan, Armenia.

After a 30-year career in classical music, Fazlian is considered a reference in the musical scene of Lebanon and is one of the most sought after conductors in the symphonic and operatic sphere in the Middle East.

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He is also known to the public for being the Personal Conductor to the two acclaimed Lebanese Icons: Fairouz and Julia Boutros.

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Harout Fazlian was recently appointed Music and Artistic Advisor to the Higher Organizing Committee for the Centennial Celebrations of the Proclamation of the Greater Lebanon 2020 by H.E. General Michel Aoun, President of the Lebanese Republic.

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Since 2017, in collaboration with the Events Department, he is responsible in producing and conducting all musical representations occurring at the Presidential Palace including the official yearly Christmas Concert.

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Maestro Fazlian firmly believes in a shared responsibility for social change. Many of his concerts are at the core of the UN’s SDGs (Sustainable Development Goals), aiming at the inclusion of persons with special needs, empowering youth, safeguarding Lebanese intangible cultural heritage and promoting gender equality.

Given an upbringing surrounded by the theatre, music and painting, Fazlian is inspired not only by different musical genres, but also different art forms. Other than being the leading figure in the operatic scene in Lebanon,

With the aim of making the linguistic elements of Opera and Lieder more accessible to the wider Lebanese and Arab public, Maestro Fazlian requested Mozart’s Opera “Bastien and Bastienne” and Beethoven’s complete incidental music to Goethe’s tragedy “Egmont” to be translated into Arabic, He adapted the translated texts into the score, conducted the World Premiere in Beirut and toured the Arab world (Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Sharjah, Amman and Ajman) receiving great reviews from critics.

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Harout Fazlian conducted at the Baalbeck International Festival the musical “From the Days of Salaheddine”, which was the first time a Lebanese musical play was performed with a live symphonic orchestra. He repeated the challenging experience at the Beiteddine Art Festival collaborating with the Caracalla Dance Theatre, conducting the dance musical “Once Upon a Time”.

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n 2019 Fazlian conducted the epic show “1001 Nights: The Last Chapter”, a multifaceted concept combining dance, acrobatics, theatre, digital arts and live symphony orchestra. It was commissioned for the official inauguration of Sharjah’s selection as the 2019 UNESCO World Book Capital. It changed the face of live entertainment in the UAE and reinvented the genre of performing arts.

In an Arab world keen on preserving its cultural heritage, he was commissioned by the Abu Dhabi Authority for Culture & Heritage to create a musical concept for the Assilah Art Festival in Morocco. He arranged and conducted a new fusion concept for Nikolai Rimski-Korasakov’s “Scheherazade” incorporating narration and oriental instruments alongside a classical orchestra.

He arranged, recorded and conducted the definitive version of the UAE National Anthem. In 2018 and 2019, Fazlian performed the official National Day concerts of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the Kingdom of Bahrain.

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In 2014, Maestro Fazlian collaborated as traditional music advisor and supervisor with renowned German composer Christian Steinhäuser on the grandiose musical show “Clusters of Light”, the inaugural concert for Sharjah, Islamic Culture Capital celebrations.

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On the international level, Fazlian has guest conducted concerts with major orchestras in Armenia, Austria, Bahrain, Brazil, Canada, China, Czech Republic, Egypt, Germany, Jordan, KSA, Mexico, Oman, Poland, Qatar, Romania, Russia, Singapore and UAE.

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In the academia world, he established and organized the Music Department at Haigazian University. Dr. Fazlian also held academic positions and has given lectures at the Lebanese University, American University of Beirut, Haigazian University and Université du Saint Esprit-Kaslik.

On July 5th, 2020 Maestro Fazlian conceived, directed and conducted the “Sound of Resilience” Concert produced by Baalbeck International Festival.

Being the first big cultural event and a Premiere in the Middle East after the confinement due to Covid-19, Maestro Fazlian envisioned it as an act of cultural resilience, unity and hope.

Being at the crossroad of civilizations, the repertoire mirrored Baalbeck as an amalgamation of national and international genres. While highlighting Cultural Heritage, Youth Empowerment and Diaspora excellence, it also celebrated the centenary of Greater Lebanon and the 250th Anniversary of Ludwig van Beethoven’s Birthday.