The American University in Cairo (AUC) has launched a new YouTube series called This Is Not a Concert.

The idea is initiated by John Baboukis, a Cairo-based American professor and director of the Music Programme at the American University in Cairo (AUC) who also presents the project in its first episode posted on Sunday at the AUC Center for the Arts YouTube channel.

"We are going to invite you to our homes and we are going to play for you some music," Baboukis says in the introduction to the inaugural episode.

"I'm not even going to call this a concert as you are visiting my home and I'm playing my musical comfort food; these are old favourite [pieces] of mine."

Baboukis adds that the intiative will also include some of the performances staged by the AUC in the past.

Baboukis then moves on to performing works by François Couperin, a French Baroque composer.

He adds a few words of the historical background for the listeners to position the piece in the world of Western classical music.

Baboukis is known for specialising in medieval, renaissance and baroque Western music, Byzantine chant and classical Arab music.

Baboukis is also conductor and music director of the Cairo Choral Society and the Cairo Festival Orchestra, as well as of the AUC Chamber Singers.

He composed a large body of vocal music, in addition to chamber works and music for piano, harpsichord, clavichord, and organ.

The Cairo audience can see Baboukis conduct regularily the Cairo Choral Society concerts, usually adding their musical share to Easter and Christmas seasons.

Follow the new releases of YouTube series This Is Not a Concert here.

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