Sister Marana Saad, OLM, is a nun of the Lebanese Maronite Order. She studied choral conducting under Maestro Walter Marzilli, at the Institute of Sacred Music in Rome. She has a PhD in monastic theology from St. Anselm's University - Rome, and is currently a PhD candidate in sacred music at the Holy Spirit University of Kaslik - Lebanon. In 2010, she founded Saint Rafqa's Institute of Music, where she now teaches and conducts Saint Rafqa's choir (young and children). She is renowned for her dynamic conducting style and compelling musical integrity.
Under the direction of Sr Marana Saad, Saint Rafqa's Choir has established its reputation as one of the leading choirs in Lebanon. She directed several liturgical and musical celebrations: masses and concerts celebrated at the presidential palace in Baabda, at the Maronite Catholic Patriarchate in Bkerke, and at different churches and theatres all over Lebanon. Sister Marana and the choir have participated in concerts where she directed prominent orchestras and other leading choirs, and has received many invitations to festivals. She directed the children's choir during their participation in "La Contrebasse Voyageuse" in Montpellier, France (June 2013), as well as the "Friendship between choirs" Festival in Cyprus (September 2013.) She conducted the orchestra and choir at Rafqa's musical theatre, as well as the choir in their recording of many soundtracks for movies, such as "Ghadi" written by Georges Khabbaz. She also conducted Saint Rafqa's choir and different orchestras in concerts with prominent Lebanese artists such as Magida El Roumi and Charbel Rouhana. In summer 2014, she organized a "Friendship between choirs" festival in Lebanon where she hosted music and choral workshops and invited leading choirs. She also directed five different choirs during the festival.
She is a currently music teacher at ISRM, a Theology professor at the Holy Spirit University of Kaslik and a member of the Maronite Patriarchal Committee for Liturgy (Music committee). She has participated in different conferences and workshops, and has published several articles about sacred music. She is also the author of several theological and musical texts, and has composed and directed several religious chants and albums such as Alliance of Love and prayer (2007), The Mass according to the rite of the Syro-Maronite Antioche church (2008), Miladyat: Christmas chants (2008), Fawh Al Qadassa (201 0), Mother, Mirror of the Sky (201 1), and Rafqa Musical Theatre CD (2014).
