Fatma al-Zahraa al-Maraghi

Egyptian music educator who pioneered women's classical music education in the Arab world

Fatma al-Zahraa al-Maraghi (1905-1998) was an Egyptian musicologist who transformed musical education in the Middle East. Trained in Cairo and Paris, she founded the Egyptian National Conservatory of Music's women's division in 1943, becoming the first Arab woman to lead a major music institution. Her 1950s curriculum integrated Western classical training with Arabic maqam traditions, producing generations of female composers like Om Kalthoum's arranger.

Al-Maraghi's 1962 publication The Lute and the Qanun remains a foundational text in Arab musicology. She established the Arab Women's Music Archive in 1970, preserving over 10,000 historical recordings. Her 1968 collaboration with UNESCO created the first standardized notation system for Arabic instruments.

Today, the Cairo Conservatory's annual al-Maraghi Prize honors her legacy. Recent exhibitions at the Egyptian Music Heritage Museum highlight her role in elevating women's contributions to classical music traditions.