The annual Ratiba El-Hefny Arab Music and Singing Competition for children and youth announced its winners.

The competition, held under the aegis of the Arab Music Festival, received dozens of entrants, including youth and children, and people with special abilities.

The competition was divided into several categories: New Song Contest, Arabic singing for youth, Arabic singing for children, Arabic singing for people with special needs, Arabic singing for children with special needs, as well as cello performance.

The winners are as follows:

New Song Competition

with a total value of EGP 100,000 goes to:
Noha Hafez for the performance of the song Ard Wahda (One Land), composed by Ahmed Lotfi and arranged by Yahya Al-Mogi.

Ayat Farouk for her song Kalimni (Talk to Me), composed by Khaled Abdel-Ghaffar and arranged by Ihab Abdel-Salam

Cello Performance Competition

First place (EGP 30,000 award): Abdallah Samir Sayed Ibrahim

Second place (EGP 25,000 award): Nour Mohamed Abdel-Shafi

Third place (EGP 20,000 award): shared between Islam El-Sayed Khamees and Ihab Samir Shawky

Arab Singing Competition for Young People

First place (EGP 30,000 award): Ahmed Abdel Karim Abdel Gawad

Second place (EGP 25,000 award): Mazen Helmy El-Sayed

Certificates of appreciation: Toka Muhammad Abdel-Rahman and Karim Alaa El-Din Lotfi.

Arabic Singing Competition for Children

First place (EGP 20,000 award): Basmalah Kamal Bayoumi

Second place (EGP 15,000 award): shareed between Youssef Peter and Logine Tamer, both representing the Talents Development Center at the Cairo Opera House

Third place (EGP 10,000 award): shared between Iyad Muhammad Ahmed Qaddoura and Youssef Mohamed Mostafa El-Rawi

Arabic Singing Competition for Young People with Special Needs

First place (EGP 30,000 award): shared between Nancy Atef Shehata representing Ratiba El-Hefny Music Center, and Heba Adel Ibrahim Youssef.

Second place (EGP 25,000 award): Rania Mahmoud Abdel-Hamid

Third place (EGP 20,000 award): Mohamed Mostafa Ali El-Zahri representing Ratiba El-Hefny Music Center

Certificates of appreciation: Reem Hani, Loujain Khaled and Farah Mohamed

Arabic Singing Competition for Children with Special Needs

First place (EGP 20,000 award): Hiba Rabie El-Sayed Rabie representing the Talents Development Center at the Cairo Opera House

Second place (EGP 15,000 award): Sharaf Ahmed Sharaf representing the Talents Development Center at the Cairo Opera House

Third place (EGP 10,000 award): Jannat Youssef Shaaban representing the Talents Development Center at the Cairo Opera House
 
The awards will be distributed to the winners during the closing ceremony of the 29th Arab Music Festival and Conference, on the evening of Tuesday 10 November.

Late soprano Ratiba El-Hefny, launched the competition in the early 1990s; she also assumed the position of the chairperson overlooking the opera’s opening and start-up of activities between 1988 and 1990.

Under El-Hefny’s chairmanship, the Cairo Opera House saw the birth of new companies under its wings: the National Arab Music Ensemble and the Cairo Opera House Children’s Choir.

The 29th edition of the Arab Music Festival takes place between 1 and 10 November.

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