LONDON, 23 June 2007 — BMG Foundation’s Al Farabi Concerto, performed by the English Chamber Orchestra, took place on June 19 in London’s Plaisterers’ Hall. The concerto featured the classical contemporary compositions of Tarek Hassan (Egypt), Waleed Howrani (Lebanon), Fouad Fakhouri (Jordan), Zaid Jabri (Syria) and Sir Peter Maxwell Davies (UK).
It included soprano Mary Bevan, Simon Haram on saxophone and Stephanie Gonley on violin and was conducted by Clark Rundell, director of Contemporary Music and Head of Conducting at the Royal Northern College of Music, Manchester and Artistic Director of the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic’s new music group, Ensemble 10/10. This was the preview concert of the Al Farabi Concerto initiative, a series of concerts by exceptionally talented but little-known composers from the Arab world, including Kuwait, Lebanon, Egypt, Jordan, Palestine, Syria, Morocco and Algeria. The goal of the Al Farabi Concerto series is to bring the work of Arab contemporary classical composers to international audiences, demonstrating the cultural achievements of present-day Arab societies. It also aims to create networks between artists of the East and West and heighten recognition of these talented composers within their own communities.
Beginning in 2008, the Al Farabi Concerto will take place in the most prestigious concert venues in London. Following the London series, the same programs will be taken to festivals in European capital cities — Paris, Berlin, Copenhagen, Amsterdam — and then, from 2009 onwards, to the homelands of the composers in the Middle East.
Al Farabi Concerto is part of BMG Foundation’s corporate cultural responsibility program that seeks to raise funds for sustainable cultural programs to assist the needy and enhance communities.
Sponsors of the Al Farabi Concerto included BMG Financial Group (KSA), Istithmar and The Dubai Wellness Center (UAE), Arab Bank Group (Jordan), RAKISA (KSA), Alhamrani Group of Companies, Zedan Group, Beltone Financial, TBWA\RAAD (KSA), Impact Proximity (KSA), Crystal Arc (UAE) and Al Joman for Environmental Care (KSA).
