Faculty

AIPA’s faculty consists of highly-trained educators with diverse musical, professional, and personal backgrounds, who are also accomplished performers in their own right.

Jana Semaan

Director of Music/Head of Strings

Jana Semaan is an active concert cellist, recording artist, educator, and specialist in Early Music. She is also the cello section leader of the Amman Chamber Orchestra, maintaining a dynamic career that bridges performance, research, and artistic leadership.

As a soloist, recitalist, and orchestral musician, Jana has performed in some of the world’s most prestigious venues, including the Royal Albert Hall in London, the Staatsoper in Berlin, the KKL in Lucerne, the Salzburg Festival House, and Teatro alla Scala in Milan. Her international career spans Europe, East Asia, and South America, and includes collaborations with renowned conductors and leading orchestras.

A dedicated advocate of historically informed performance, Jana specializes in Early Music and is committed to expanding the cello repertoire through research and performance. She is a long-standing member of the Café International Baroque Orchestra in Germany and a co-founder of the German-Lebanese Artists Society.

Jana is an established recording artist, known for bringing lesser-known works to light. Her discography includes Jana Plays Scipriani, a historically informed recording of the complete toccatas by F.P. Scipriani, and Jana Plays Dall’Abaco, a live recording of the complete Capricci, further contributing to the rediscovery of Baroque cello repertoire. In January 2026, she recorded the world premiere of Naji Hakim’s Variations on “Jesu dulcis memoria”, a work dedicated to her, in Bucharest; the recording was released in February 2026. She has also previously released Hakim’s Aria for four cellos (2021) with the Redbooth label in Lebanon.

As a soloist and recitalist, she has appeared at venues such as the Fruchtkasten in Stuttgart, the Royal College of Music in London, the Staatsoper in Berlin, the American University of Beirut, Maison Heinrich Heine in Paris, and the Baalbeck International Festival.

Alongside her performing career, Jana has been deeply engaged in pedagogy, artistic consultancy, and cultural development. She has contributed as a music consultant to a range of regional projects in collaboration with festivals and European cultural institutions, as well as to the design and development of educational programs for leading universities in Lebanon. She previously held teaching positions at the Université Saint-Esprit de Kaslik and the Antonine University in Lebanon, where she founded the first Center for Early Music in the region in 2018.

Education

Jana holds both a Bachelor’s degree in Cello Performance and a Master’s degree in Early Music/Baroque Cello from the State University of Music and Performing Arts Stuttgart-Germany, both awarded with the highest distinction. During her Master’s studies, she was appointed as a tutor in the university’s Early Music Department. During her studies, she worked with distinguished artists such as Yo-Yo Ma, Dame Emma Kirkby, and Malcolm Bilson.

Beyond her musical life, Jana is passionate about coffee and enjoys refining the perfect cup to accompany her practice and rehearsal routines.

Karim Said

Head of Piano

Karim Said is a pianist and conductor.

‘He shares Sviatoslav Richter’s incisively effortless octave technique and knack for gradually meting out rubato in the manner of a seasoned conductor’ – Gramophone Magazine.

Hailed as a ‘born communicator’ by the Independent, Karim Said came to the public’s attention in 2009 playing concertos with the English Chamber Orchestra under the late Sir Colin Davis (Barbican Centre, London) and at the BBC Proms (Royal Albert Hall, London). 

As a soloist with orchestra, he has toured regularly performing at such halls as the Philharmonie in Berlin, Musikverein in Vienna, the Great Hall of the Tchaikovsky Conservatory in Moscow, the Pierre Boulez Saal in Berlin, the Musashino Concert Hall in Tokyo and at the Dubai Opera House.

Karim’s album Legacy was released on Rubicon Classics (UK) in November 2018. It received 5 Stars for interpretation and repertoire on West German Radio (WDR) and was described by Nicholas Kenyon in the Guardian/Observer as a programme ‘dispatched with intelligence and grace.’ This followed the success of his debut album 'Echoes from an Empire' (Opus Arte – 2015) which was one of Gramphone’s ‘Top Ten recordings of Janacek’ in 2016. The repertoire on his first album was inspired by his London recital debut series at the Southbank Centre in 2013, where he covered Arnold Schoenberg’s complete published solo works over three recitals as part of the ‘International Piano Series’ and ‘The Rest Is Noise’ festival. 

Karim Said is equally at home performing chamber music and collaborating with actors. Past events have included collaborative performances with such stage directors as the late Patrice Chereau and Vanessa Redgrave, as well as chamber music performances with Waltraud Meier, Dorothea Röschmann, Gabriel Croitoru, Adrian Brendel, and the Utrecht String Quartet.

Karim is a serious jazz enthusiast with a particular affinity for the music of Miles Davis, Chick Corea, and Thelonious Monk. Outside music, Karim is a massive Alfred Hitchcock fan.

Education

Karim Said was born in Amman, Jordan in 1988 where he commenced his piano studies with Georgian-Iraqi teacher Agnes Bashir-Dzodtsoeva. He moved to the UK in 2000, aged eleven, to study piano, composition and conducting at the renowned Purcell School of Music and later at the Royal Academy of Music, both on full scholarships. At the Royal Academy of Music, he studied with Prof. Tatiana Sarkissova. His development as a student throughout his time at the Purcell School is documented in Christopher Nupen's film 'Karim's Journey', which was broadcast on the UK's BBC4, and in five other countries, in 2008.

Karim Said was made an Associate of the Royal Academy of Music, London in 2017. 

Yuliya Yezdakova

Teacher of Piano

Yuliya Yezdakova is a highly knowledgeable, creative, and resourceful concertmaster and piano teacher from Ukraine. She has honed her skills and developed a reputation as an excellent educator and performer.

She has taught at the Donetsk School of Art, where she served as both a teacher and concertmaster, accompanying vocalists, violinists, and saxophonists. She also organized lessons for children as young as four years old. In addition, Yuliya worked at Kyiv University Borys Grinchenko as a concertmaster and piano teacher. She has recorded over 200 piano tracks for vocal students and has been teaching online since 2019. Her piano students have been laureates of international competitions.

Yuliya has participated in concerts of the Donetsk Music Academy and the Institute of Art in Kyiv as part of a duo or trio. She has also accompanied vocal concerts and was a laureate of Ukrainian and international piano competitions. In 2015, she took the Grand Prix in an international competition in the city of Dnipro for piano duet. In her free time, she enjoys composing her piano pieces and songs.

Education

Yuliya received her complete higher education in musical art from the S.S.Prokofiev Donetsk State Musical Academy. She graduated in 2014 with a degree that allowed her to obtain the qualification of a teacher, artist of chamber ensemble, and concertmaster. Before that, Yuliya completed the full course of Donetsk Musical College.

Ribal Al Sayyed

Teacher of Drums

Ribal is a dedicated music teacher with a passion for drums and percussion instruments. He has taught music in various schools and collaborated with numerous venues to arrange performances for bands and ensembles. With his expertise in music theory, composition, and percussion instruments, he has provided one-on-one and group music lessons to students of all ages and skill levels. Ribal fosters a welcoming and engaging learning environment for his students, encouraging them to develop their musical talents and explore new learning opportunities. As a drummer, Ribal is committed to making a positive impact on his students' learning journeys and helping them achieve their musical goals.

Education

Ribal received his bachelor's degree in music from the Jordan Academy of Music.

Alla Yanisheva
Teacher of Violin, Piano and Musicianship

Alla Yanisheva is a dedicated and versatile music educator, holding a Master’s degree in Violin from the National Conservatory of Uzbekistan. With extensive teaching experience in piano, music theory, and ear training, she brings a well-rounded approach to her work with students. Alongside her pedagogical career, she is an active performer, regularly participating in concerts and serving as a member of the Amman Chamber Orchestra.

Yousef Musharbash
Artist-in-Residence
Teacher of Jazz Piano

Yousef Musharbash is a professional pianist, arranger, and bandleader, holding a Master’s degree from Berklee College of Music. Trained in jazz, Middle Eastern, and pop styles, he has performed at concerts and festivals and collaborated with artists across the Middle East and Europe.

Nayle Amaya

Teacher of Piano

Nayle Amaya is a Cuban pianist from Matanzas who began her musical training at an early age and received awards in national competitions. She graduated with high honors from the Music Conservatory and has been active since 2009 as a soloist, accompanist, and educator. Now based in Jordan, she is known for her versatility across classical, Latin, and Arabic-inspired music.

Varduhi Toroyan
Teacher of Voice and Choir

Varduhi Toroyan is an Armenian-Jordanian vocalist, pianist, and educator with over 20 years of experience in performance and teaching. She began playing piano by ear at the age of four and later completed her formal training at the P. I. Tchaikovsky Specialized Music School in Yerevan and the Komitas State Conservatory of Yerevan, where she earned a Master’s degree as a concert performer, chamber musician, accompanist, and teacher, and studied composition with renowned Armenian composer Robert Amirkhanyan. She is an award-winning musician, receiving top recognitions at international competitions and festivals, including prizes for performance and improvisation, and has represented Armenia internationally as both a pianist and vocalist in numerous countries. Varduhi has extensive experience in education, having taught piano and voice, accompanied choirs, and founded multiple school and community choirs, leading them to award-winning performances. She has also served as Vice Music Director of the State Chamber Theatre of Armenia and worked as a music director for theatrical productions. As a composer, she has written over 200 songs across various genres, with works performed on major stages and broadcast on Armenian national radio, and she published her first vocal cycle book in 2025. Known for her dynamic and expressive teaching style, she is dedicated to helping students develop their individual artistic voice and confidence through music.

Yasmin Aqel
Teacher of Piano

Yasmin Aqel holds a Master’s degree in Musical Arts from the University of Jordan and has over eight years of experience teaching piano to students of all levels. She also holds ABRSM Grade 8 certifications in both Music Theory and Performance. Her teaching combines strong technical foundations with a student-centered approach, fostering musicality, discipline, and confidence in every student.