Beirut's well established annual music and performing arts festival will focus on William Shakespeare whose 400th death anniversary falls on 23 April this year.

 

The International Festival of Music and the Performing Arts (Al-Bustan Festival) runs between 16 February and 20 March under the theme "Midwinter Night's Dream" bringing together international musicians and singers to the stages of Emile Bustani Auditorium as well as other venues across Beirut.

 

This year, the focus will be on classical music and how Shakespeare inspired musical works- from operas to ballets and to smaller compositions.

 

The opening performance took place on 16 February with the participation of soprano Fiona Hymns, mezzo soprano Sophie Goldrick, accompanied by the Al Bustan Festival Orchestra under the baton of Gianluca Marcianò. The evening included Smetana's symphonic poem Richard III and Mendelssohn's Midsummer Night’s Dream.

 

The following days present a variety of compositions referencing Shakespeare. Romeo and Juliet will return with works such as Berlioz's choral symphony, Prokofiev's suite No.2 and arias from Gounod's opera celebrating the famed Shakespearean lovers.

 

Other compositions will also pay tribute to the Bard, such as through Mendelssohn/Rachmaninov' scherzo from A Midsummer Night’s Dream. 

 

The Japanese medieval Noh theatre will perform together with international concert pianist Eric Ferrand-N'Kaoua in a stage-interpretation of King Lear.

 

An evening dubbed Shakespeare in Arabic will fuse chosen scenes from Shakespeare's plays with classical music. The actors of the evening will be Mireille Maalouf and Rifaat Torbey.

 

Apart from the Shakespeare-centred concerts, the festival also presents works from other composers, walking the audiences through a variety of music and performing arts experiences.

 

Lebanon's International Festival of Music and the Performing Arts is one of the major art festivals in the region.

 

Founded in 1994, the annual festival takes place primarily at the Emile Bustani Auditorium and other locations around the city, giving the stage to international artists, musicians, visual artists and art academics.

 

The festival includes concerts incorporating a variety of genres, including symphonic, opera, choral and chamber music, in addition to folkloric performances.