Youmna Saba

Youmna Saba (Beirut, 1984) is a musician, composer, and musicologist. She holds a Master’s degree in musicology from Antonine University, Lebanon. Her current research focuses on the relationship between electroacoustic music and the Arabic language in its sung form, as well as instrument and space resonances. These explorations manifest across her solo projects, collaborations, sound installations, and innovative experiments with digitally-augmented versions of her instrument, the oud.

Her fifth solo album, Wishah (2023), marks a transformative point in her career. Released by the UK-based label Touch, the album delves into the acoustic and emotional possibilities of a digitally-extended oud, a device developed as part of her research project, Taïma’. Wishah was conceived as a five-stage suite, blending voice, electronics, and oud to evoke themes of memory and transformation.

Saba's recent performances have brought Wishah to renowned festivals and venues such as Rewire (Netherlands), BRDCST (Belgium), the MAO Museum (Italy), and Lafayette Anticipations (France), among others. These appearances join her notable past performances at CTM Festival (Berlin), Éclat Festival (Stuttgart), and the Gugak Center (Seoul), as well as collaborations with artists like Kamilya Jubran and the Neue Vocalsolisten ensemble.

She was a resident artist at the Musée du Quai Branly (2022–2023), where her sound installation La Réserve des Non-Dits was exhibited. Other residencies include the INA-GRM (Paris), Cité Internationale des Arts (Paris), Césaré CNCM, and the Sharjah Art Foundation.

Youmna Saba will perform as part of this year's Lyrik i samklang: Palestine-Lebanon-Sweden, exploring the relation between voices and expression from Palestine, Lebanon and the Palestinian and Lebanese diaspora.

Youmna Saba will also perform as part of Das Kleine Bergbauensamble.

Lyrik i samklang: Palestine-Lebanon-Sweden is presented with support from the Swedish Arts Council and Svenska Akademien.