The LAU campuses rang in the season with the annual Christmas concerts held at the Gulbenkian Theater and Selina Kurban Auditorium, invoking peace, compassion and the sense of community that binds us all. This year, the university also collaborated with the Beirut Chants Festival.

The opening concert on November 30, Traditions and Carols from Across the Globe II, was directed by LAU Soprano and Artist-in-Residence Reem Deeb. Held jointly with the LAU Music Club Vocal Ensemble, the event included Christmas traditions and carols from Bulgaria, Colombia, Germany and Lebanon, and featured performances by the children of LAU faculty and staff, led by Pianist Olga Bolun.

As part of the 16th edition of the Beirut Chants Festival, the Lebanese Trio Mario Rahi on the violin, Ayad Khalife on the piano and Sary Khalife on the cello enchanted the audience with piano trio symphonies by Ludwig van Beethoven and Arno Babadjanian on December 6 at the Gulbenkian Theater, Beirut campus.

The Transeamus Usque Bethlehem (Let Us Go to Bethlehem) concert, organized by the LAU Department of Communication, Arts and Languages, drew the crowds on December 4 on the Beirut campus and December 7 on the Byblos campus. Opening with the titular composition, the concert featured Christmas carols in English, Arabic and French performed by the LAU Choir in collaboration with the Qadisha Choir and conducted by Michele El Chemaly.