Concert

The RDD Band

Thursday, March 6, 2025 (19:30 - 21:00)
LAU Beirut Campus, Irwin Hall Auditorium

Dear All,

Rare diseases affect more than 300 million people around the world. Today, there are more than 7,000 known rare diseases, 72% of which are of a genetic origin. In most cases, the patient’s quality of life is affected by a lack of autonomy due to the chronic, progressive, degenerative, and frequently life-threatening aspects of the disease.

In Lebanon, more than 250,000 people are affected by a rare disease. To increase awareness about these rare/orphan diseases, the Department of Human Genetics at the Lebanese American University’s Gilbert and Rose-Marie Chagoury School of Medicine has organized a series of activities under the title “RARE DISEASE DAY ACTION 2025”.

Rare Disease Day (RDD) is a globally coordinated movement that seeks to promote equity in social opportunity, healthcare, and access to diagnosis and therapies for people living with a rare disease. The RDD is observed every year on February 28 (or 29 in leap years).

As part of this initiative, the first activity at LAU will be a concert organized by the Neuromuscular Challenge Foundation (NMCF) featuring six talented musicians. The performance will highlight a variety of genres, with a strong emphasis on improvisation, allowing each musician to showcase their unique artistic expression.The lineup includes Mike Semaan (piano), Sherif Salloum (drums), Eddy El Mir (saxophone), Ramy Akiel (kanun), Louis Zeenny (percussion), Serena Medawar (bass guitar), and Wissam Saliba. Together, they will captivate the audience with a rich and diverse repertoire spanning pop, Latin, jazz, and oriental music, demonstrating how music can bridge cultures, spaces, and audiences.

You are all welcome to join us starting at 7 PM, performances start at 7:30 PM sharp. Kindly register to secure your place. Seating will be allocated on a first-come, first-served basis, with no specific seat assignments.

Click here to register for free 

(Online registration will close at 12 PM on March 6, but onsite registration will still be an option if places are available)

Meet our musicians: