Marc Sabbah

Marc Sabbah (born in New York City) is a Brussels based viola soloist, chamber musician, conductor, professor of viola and co-director of the Cameristica Chamber Music Festival.

His talent has brought him to stages around the world with performances in Japan and China to Europe and Latin America. A master of technique and a painter of sound, Marc Sabbah is regarded as one of his generation’s most intriguing violists.

From 2012–2024 Marc was the solo violist of the Belgian National Orchestra. In September 2017, Marc began a professorship of viola at the Royal Conservatory of Mons, Belgium. Described as “a magnificent player” by legendary conductor Zubin Mehta. In 2011, Marc Sabbah performed with Ivry Gitlis at the Verbier Festival in Switzerland. Years later, Gitlis attended Marc’s performance of the Leo Smit viola concerto at the Royal Conservatory of Mons calling Marc ‘The Paganini of viola’.

His past awards include the 1st prize at the 2016 Rising Stars Grand Prix music competition performing solo at the Berlin Philharmonic hall, 1st Grand Prize at the Manhattan International Music Competition with a recital at Carnegie Hall and 1st prize at the Amsterdam National Viola Competition. Marc has won top prizes at the Moscow Arts Competition in Boston, the Horowitz International Competition and Academy in Kiev, Ukraine, (2004) performing Hoffmeister concerto for viola and orchestra as well as Mozart Sinfonia Concertante with the Ukrainian State Orchestra.

Since 2016, Marc has collaborated with Belgian pianist Eliane Reyes forming the Duo Sabbah-Reyes, a unique duo dedicated to exploring viola and piano repertoire. The duo has just released its latest disc titled AppassionAlto under the label Prospero Classical. The album has received praise from multiple publications including the STRAD magazine. As a founding member and violist of the string Trio NOMADA, Marc plays alongside cellist David Cohen and violinist Noé Inui. With numerous recitals, radio and television appearances, as well as performing numerous concerti with international orchestras such as the Belgian National Orchestra, Athens State Orchestra, Antalya State Orchestra, Philharmonische Orchester Basel, Casco Philharmonic, de Filharmonie Amsterdam, la Orquesta Filarmónica de Coahuila, Filarmónica de Bogotá and others, Marc is creating a path as a musical force of his generation.

Marc has performed and attended festivals throughout Europe, Asia, Latin America, Israel, Ukraine, Russia, the United States and Canada. He is regularly invited to play chamber music and is the musical director of the Cameristica Festival, a pedagogical festival focused around chamber and orchestral training for the young musicians of tomorrow. As director of the Kâsteaux chamber festival (2018-2022), Marc programmed, performed and coordinated multiple concerts with internationally acclaimed artists, curating novel programs and organizing Luthier presentations for the public. Marc is deeply involved in teaching and communicating his love of music and performing to both young artists and publics alike. He continues to give numerous masterclasses around the world including his latest at the Royal Conservatory of Madrid and Tenerife, The Rotterdam Conservatory, the Avelino Conservatory in Naples and with the Dutch Viola Society in Doordrecht. With a full class at the Conservatory of Mons, students of his class regularly win orchestral and academy positions. Group classes and class concerts are crucial to the development of his students as well as encouraging them to discover interesting repertoire. Anner Bylsma once said, 'teaching is a very selfish profession as the teacher often learns more than the student.'

Passionate about the solo repertoire of J. S. Bach, Marc had the privilege of studying with the great Baroque cellist, Anner Bylsma. This rich experience gave him a perspective on playing Bach to which he carries today. In May 2026, his latest double album of all 6 cello suites on viola will be released with the Swiss label Prospero, already drawing attention from the Strad magazine with a 3 page exposé and multiple radio and television appearances in the Benelux region.

Marc began his studies on violin at the age of three at the 3rd Street Music School in Manhattan, furthering his studies at the Lucy Moses School with teacher Mark Lakirovich. Mesmerized by the warmth of its tone and in admiration of his sister’s cello playing, Marc switched to the viola at age 11. He completed his studies in the United States as a graduate of the Fiorello H. LaGuardia High school of Performing Arts and the Pre-College Division of The Juilliard School. Graduating Cum Laude from the Conservatorium van Amsterdam, Marc was a pupil of Sven Arne Tepl and Nobuko Imai.

Since 2020, Marc has been an ambassador for Jargar Strings which he uses on his viola made in 1951 by Leroy F. Geiger, Chicago, USA.