Cairo Opera House to host Arab Perspectives Festival

Cairo Opera House will host a new festival, "Arab Perspectives Festivals" dedicated to Egyptian symphony composers on February 27, and March 6.

Both shows will be performed by Cairo Symphony Orchestra conducted by Ahmed Farag, and Mohamed Sharara.

Organized under the theme of "Egyptian Trends," the first concert's program includes Alaa El-Din Moustafa's "Overture," "Ahmed Madkour's "Texture TV for Orchestra," and Amr Okba's "La Divina Comedia."

Composer Amr Okba told SEE News: "La Divina Comedia is a symphonic adaptation for Dante's epic. The symphony consists of three main movements: Inferno, Purgatorio, and Paradiso."

He added that he composed this musical piece in 2019, it will be performed live for the first time at the festival, in addition, he expressed that he is influenced by international symphonic trends especially the Austrian ones.

On the other hand, Okba hailed the event as he believes in the talented Egyptian symphony composers who should be more supported by concerned authorities.

On the other hand, the second concert's program has Khaled Shokri's "Suite for String Orchestra," Ashra Fouad's "Suite," and Ramz Sabri's "Symphony."

"Symphony" composer Ramz Sabri highlighted to SEE News that he started writing this composition back in 2008, but he finalized it last summer.

Moreover, he asserted that he always thinks of the concept of happiness and how it could be expressed through music, saying: "I was thinking of happiness while composing; nostalgia and warm memories were accompanied later on."

Next, the composer explained that Egyptian composers face several challenges, therefore, Egyptian composers need more support.

Moreover, Sabri expressed that orchestral music needs to be more common in Egyptian society.

In the same context, Musicology professor and composer Dr. Nahla Mattar talked to SEE News more about the Egyptian orchestra scene.

She highlighted: "There is a huge number of symphony music composers in Egypt, in addition, their compositions are performed internationally.

However, Egyptian composers need more opportunities to interact with the Egyptian symphony lovers, moreover, people need to attend Orchestra concerts to get used to it and enjoy the music."

Finally, Mattar indicated that contemporary orchestra music is more into surrealism as it depends on innovation, creativity, and subjectivity.