Music composer, Rula Baaklini breaks male chauvinist prototyping

As Safir daily newspaper published on February 6, an interview with music composer and professor at the Holy Spirit University of Kaslik, Rula Baaqline, highlighting her successful musicology career. As such, Baaqlini stated that she studied the history of music for 10 years at Saint Joseph University and another year at Notre Damme University and was recommended by her advisor to follow up musical composition in the United States. She applied to New Orleans University and received a scholarship.  She later moved to Texas Tech University where she got her doctorate degree in composition and returned to Lebanon in 2012. Baaqlini told the newspaper that a person who does not make it in his/her country, can never succeed abroad, noting that she is not well known in Lebanon because the public here is no longer a fan of classical music. “Musical composition is often classified as a male profession,” Baaqlini added, “and women composers or orchestra conductors are only an exception.” “When I first said I wanted to become a musical composer, nobody took me seriously,” she said, adding: “in Lebanon it is difficult to be a woman, and even more if you want to become a composer.” Finally, Baaqlini expressed her hope to be recognized one day as an international composer who thrived to develop a fusion of classical and oriental music. (As Safir, February 6, 2016)