

Nebal Maysaud
Washington D.C., DCNebal Maysaud is an award-winning queer Lebanese Druze composer based in the Washington D.C. metro area. A recipient of the first Kluge Young Composer’s Competition and the James Ming Prize in Composition at Lawrence University, Maysaud converges Western and Middle Eastern classical music styles to explore questions of faith, identity, and power.
Their music has been performed by the Alexandria Symphony Orchestra, Juventas New Music Ensemble, and Lawrence University Wind Ensemble and Opera Department; and also featured in Art Song Lab 2016 and the District New Music Conference 2018. They have contributed articles about diversity and classical music to NewMusicBox and convened community music workshops at YallaPunk 2019.
If you enjoy their work, Nebal also manages a Patreon which features a weekly blog and exclusive content.
Maysaud studied with composer Mark Camphouse before entering the studios of John Benson, Andrew Cole, Dirk D’Ase, Joanne Metcalf, and Asha Srinivasan. They hold a B.M. in Music Composition from Lawrence University.
Decolonized Arabesques on Score Follower
performed by Daniel Whitworth, Nathaniel Sattler, Emmett Jackson, Ethan Valentin
On the Mountains of Orphalese…
Premiered and recorded by the Lawrence University Wind Ensemble under the direction of Dr. Andrew Mast.
NewMusicBox Articles
There comes a point in some abusive relationships where the victim wakes up out of their Stockholm syndrome and learns that they need to plan an escape. My fellow musicians...
If it weren’t for colonization, I would be studying my own culture’s music. And would probably have more success as an artist. So I took my Bachelors of Music degree...
My experience as a queer Lebanese composer made me unique. I had the opportunity to authentically represent my culture through music. As I grew older, I realized that the spots...