Haitham Haidar

Haitham Haidar is a Lebanese-Palestinian Canadian tenor known for his remarkable musicality, lyrical voice, and sensitive storytelling. Growing up in Beirut, he developed a deep passion for Baroque music as a teenager, drawn by its emotional intensity and drama, which resonated with his cultural background. After moving to Canada, he pursued formal music studies at UBC, McGill, and Yale’s Institute of Sacred Music. Now based in Montreal, Haidar performs oratorio, opera, and chamber music worldwide and is appreciated for his versatility and bright tenor voice.

His debut solo album, *Zaytoun* (meaning "Olive" in Arabic), masterfully blends Baroque music with Arabic songs and poetry, reflecting his personal and cultural journey. The album features works by composers like Monteverdi, Purcell, and Bach alongside traditional and modern Arabic pieces, highlighting the natural connections between these two musical worlds through shared ornamentation and instrumentation. Haidar’s artistry is a gesture of cross-cultural dialogue and resistance, bringing together his heritage and classical training into a unique and moving musical expression.

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