Halim El-Dabh (1921-2017) was a composer, musician, ethnomusicologist, and educator. Born in Egypt, El-Dabh originally studied agricultural engineering at Fuad I University, studying music and composition informally. His early electro-acoustic compositions (including his famous The Expression of Zaar, one of the earliest musique concrète pieces) led to a move to the U.S.A. as a Fulbright scholar, where he continued his studies with Ernst Krenek, Aaron Copland, and Luigi Dalla