Extra Art Dose at Manesterly Palace (Full Program)

After years-long pause, the International Center for Arts, Manesterly Palace is arranging a series of art events starting from mid-November throughout mid-February 2020.

Maestro Hisham Gabr, who chairs the center announced the start of the cultural season at Manesterly Palace in cooperation with the Cultural Development Fund, and in the Ministry of Antiquities which is in charge of the palace, famously known for containing the Museum of Um Kulthum (late Egyptian iconic singer).

"We dream of making the palace a center of artistic excellence, not only classical music, but oriental heritage and jazz concerts, as well as cinema shows and lectures on music and plastic art," Gabr said at a news conference. "It will not only be this season, but we are preparing for a summer season that will be held in the palace garden and we will make sure to be more youthful and modern."

He added that Egypt needs to make use all its cultural heritage, especially through antiques palaces known as destinations for visitors, and as culture is the only way to treat the disease of terrorism.

On his part, Fathi Abdel Wahab, head of the Cultural Development Fund, said that the Umm Kulthum Museum was limited for years to commemorations, but new directions from the Ministry of Culture stressed the need to re-present all cultural activities in a new way. Wahab stressed that the cooperation protocol between the Ministries of Antiquities and Culture allowed the Fund to use 13 officially listed heritage locations so far to serve cultural content.

He noted that the Manesterly Palace needs regular maintenance as any heritage location and "we are keen during our events to maintain it and preserve its status."

The first event of the center was organized following the news conference with a concert by Soprano Amira Slim along with French pianist Pascal Roset, where she performed a number of opera songs.

The following are the details of the full program of the first season of the center;  tickets will range from 75 pounds to 150 pounds with a number of educational seminars are going to be free of charge.

-Friday, November 22: Senior Soprano Iman Mustafa with Julie Fizi on the Bass and Greg Martin on the piano at 8 pm.

-Saturday, November 23: Lecture by Hisham Gabr: Music Appreciation Session 1 Introduction to Baroque Music at 7 pm.

-Friday, November 29: Violin and Piano Recital Egypt - United Kingdom, Hossam Shehata, Violin, David Hales, Piano, at 8 pm.

-Thursday 5 December: "Um Kulthum" concert by Mai Farouk, at 8 pm.

-Friday 6 December: Egyptian Philharmonic Society Egypt - led by Maestro Ahmed Al-Saidi, at 8 pm.

-Saturday 7 December: A lecture by Hisham Gabr: Music Appreciation Session 2 Baroque music style: The Fuge, at 7 pm.

-Thursday 12 December: Lecture 1 Renaissance Between Um Kolthoum&Naguib Mahfouz, at 7 pm.

-Friday 13 December: Egyptian Jazz Project by Ahmed Harfoush Egyptian Jazz Project at 8pm.

-Friday 20 December: Piano Recital Great Britain by Adam Heron at 8 pm.

-Saturday, December 21: Lecture by Hisham Gabr, on Music Appreciation Session 3 Baroque Instrumental Forms of a musical tasting on the mechanism in the Baroque era.

-Thursday, December 26: Screening of short films with a discussion with Amir Ramses at 7 pm.

-Friday, January 10: Oboe, Violin and Piano Recital Finland - Egypt at 8 pm.

-Saturday, January 11: A lecture by Hihsma Gbar, Music Appreciation Session 4 The Enlightment, The Viennese Classical Style-, at 7 pm.

-Friday 17 January: Violin and Piano Recital Germany - Salma Sadek, Violin, Yasser Mokhtar, Piano at 7 pm.

-Saturday January 18: A lecture by Hihsma Gbar, Music Appreciation at 7 pm.

-Thursday January 23: Umm Kulthum concert by Marwa Naji at 8 pm

-Friday 24: A lecture by Hihsma Gbar, Music Appreciation Session 5 Classical Era Forms: Sonata Form, at 7 pm.

-Thursday, January 30: Film Screening at 7 pm.

-Thursday 6 February: Umm Kulthum concert by Rehab Motawea at 8 pm.

-Friday 7 February: Egyptian Philharmonic Society Egypt – led by Ahmed Al-Saidi at 8 m

-Saturday, 8 February: Music Appreciation Session 6 Classical Era Genres: Symphony&Concerto, at 7 pm.

-Friday 14 February: Concert of the French company Des Ecilliers at 8 pm.