Doha: Qatar Philharmonic Orchestra will perform two new, large-scale compositions this week: Rami Khalifé’s Stories for piano and orchestra, and Marcel Khalifé’s third concerto for oud.
David Niemann will conduct the performances, with Rami Khalifé on the piano and Kenan Adnawi on the oud.
Born in 1981 in Beirut, Rami has been called, “a musician of extreme calibre and pure expression… a welcome experimental detour from the norm of today and in the relatively conformist world of classical composition”.
He calls the seven tracks from Stories “a series of soundscapes.” “Resistance blends techno with contemporary and a dash of romanticism… Pulse, Life and Goose Bumps emerges as the pop song of the series…and Steps on the Dance Floor is a DJ spinning turntables,” he says.
Unesco Artist for Peace Marcel Khalifé has renewed the character of the Arabic song, reformulating it in more than 30 albums, and writing music for film and dance.
In these concerts, he will sing two of his songs — Ya Nassim el Rih and Ya Bahriyyeh, in new orchestral arrangements.
Marcel will perform his third oud concerto as another world premiere. Through his long career full of masterpieces for the oud, he has tried to set the instrument free from the strict techniques that traditionally governed it, greatly expanding its possibilities.
He has played a fundamental role in the establishment and development of the Qatar Philharmonic Orchestra.
The Arabian Concerto he composed specifically for its inaugural concert, was performed during the orchestra’s first international tours.
The orchestra is a member of Qatar Foundation (QF). Reflective of QF’s aspiration to contribute to a progressive society, the event aims to enhance cultural life in Qatar by promoting artistic events.
The concert will be staged on April 15 and 16 at Qatar National Convention Centre (QNCC).
Due to extraordinary demand, no tickets remain available for either concert. Details about these and other concerts are available at qatarphilharmonicorchestra.org.
The Peninsula
