Ziad Rahbani, a visionary Lebanese composer, playwright, pianist and political provocateur, died on Saturday, at the age of 69, according to the state-run National News Agency.
The death was confirmed by a person close to Rahbani who spoke on condition of anonymity. The cause of death was not immediately clear.
Born in 1956 in Antelias, near Beirut, Ziad was the eldest son of legendary Lebanese singer Fayrouz and late composer Assi Rahbani, one half of the famed Rahbani Brothers. From a young age, he showed signs of prodigious talent, composing his first musical work at just 17 years old. Raised among artistic royalty, his world was steeped in music, theater, and political consciousness — a combination that would define his life’s work.
His mother, considered to be the most famous and esteemed performer in the Arab world, performed some of his compositions at her sellout concerts, blending Lebanese folklore with Western syncopation and phrasing.
Lebanese President Joseph Aoun mourned Rahbani’s death as a national loss, describing him as “not just an artist, but a complete intellectual and cultural phenomenon.” In a statement, Aoun praised Rahbani as “a living conscience, a rebellious voice against injustice, and an honest mirror reflecting the suffering and marginalized.”
He highlighted how Rahbani’s fusion of classical, jazz and Oriental music “opened new windows for Lebanese cultural expression” and elevated it to global levels. “Ziad was a natural extension of the Rahbani family, which gave Lebanon much beauty and dignity,” the president added.
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