“Girls, girls, girls…”
Thus Amal Fikry (1 December 1929-4 March 2024) addressing the musicians of the Al Nour Wal Amal Orchestra. After long rehearsals or successful concerts, these words would instantly quiet the chatter among the visually impaired musicians, signalling a moment for Fikry to speak. They would listen closely while she expressed her admiration and love, offering both praise for their achievements and gentle guidance for improvement. Her bond with the ensemble was one of motherly love and care, built over decades.
The last time the orchestra heard those words was in early 2024, when Fikry, already frail, joined one of their concerts in Cairo. The same words echoed during their final trip abroad together — to the Royal Opera House Muscat in October 2023. On 4 March, 2024, Fikry passed away in Cairo at the age 94, leaving behind the Al Nour Wal Amal Orchestra, her second family, and a lasting legacy that resonates in the hearts of its musicians.
Amal Fikry, the dynamo of the orchestra, seldom spoke of herself. Conversations with her always lead back to the history and growth of this unique orchestra. Born on 1 December 1929 to a privileged family—her father was the governor of Egypt’s Central Bank, her family’s friends were all highly positioned people in the community, and she married Zaki Hashem, founder of one of the largest law firms in the Middle East — Fikry could have chosen to limit herself to the life of a society lady, but she chose instead to serve the less fortunate, particularly the girls and women of Al Nour Wal Amal.
The orchestra’s roots go back to the Al Nour Wal Amal Music Institute, founded in 1961 as part of the Al Nour Wal Amal Association, which Istiklal Radi established in 1954 to educate and integrate visually impaired girls. With support from Samha El-Khouly, then dean of the Cairo Conservatory (1972-81), and later President of the Academy of Arts at the University in Cairo (1982-85), the Institute introduced a Braille-transcribed music curriculum.
This led to the formation of the first small orchestra, which, thanks to Fikry’s efforts, performed across Egypt and internationally. Since their first international concert in Austria in 1988, the orchestra has performed in over 30 countries on five continents. Recently, a Junior Orchestra has also emerged and started to tour internationally.
More than 50 years after its formation, the orchestra is filled with stories of travels and achievements, all made possible by Amal Fikry. Though she never practiced art, she believed in its importance to human development. Her own children, May, Hala, and Yasser, embraced activities like painting, ballet, and piano.
In a 2013 interview published on those pages, Fikry revealed, “I always listened to Western classical music. Many years ago, attending concerts and operas was part of my lifestyle. I listen to many Western compositions; Chopin is definitely one of my favourite composers.” She adds that she enjoyed Egypt’s musical riches, speaking with particular admiration of Umm Kalthoum.
Fikry began her journey with the association as a volunteer in the late 1960s, encouraged by her husband Zaki Hashem, who had already been involved for more than a decade; he was a close friend of the renowned late journalist Mohamed Hassanein Heikal, who was one of the founders of Al Nour Wal Amal, and his wife Hedayat Taymour, an active board member. Zaki Hashem knew that Fikry had a lot to offer to the association. Indeed, in no time, she became the key figure in the orchestra’s development, and quickly rose to the position of the Music Institute Manager and vice-chairwoman.
Fikry was the sole person responsible for securing funding for the orchestra and the major fundraiser for the organisation. She worked closely with donors, including those who continue to support the association today, such as Misr El Kheir Foundation and the National Bank of Egypt. Her operations included large-scale and often very challenging tasks. She contacted several important donors, including the Begum “Om Habiba” Agha Khan — a personal friend — to donate high quality musical instruments purchased from England and Germany.
The premises of Al Nour Wal Amal have been in Heliopolis since its founding in the 1950s. With Fikry’s efforts, another piece of land in Nasr City was allocated to the association in the 1980s where a kindergarten, cultural centre, and other facilities were later established. Following years of struggling to obtain this land, Fikry stepped in. She contacted Atef Sedky, Egypt’s prime minister from 1986 to 1996, and with her negotiation skills helped finalise the land deal.
Those are just a few examples of Fikry’s many unsung feats. In short, the numerous supporters of Al Nour Wal Amal, whether directing their efforts to the association, the orchestra, or their travels, were always responsive to Fikry’s work—though she never sought recognition for her efforts, preferring to highlight the people around her.
“We would need volumes to describe Madame Amal and her many contributions to the Music Institute and the association at large. She was a mother, friend, confidante, and saviour. She was also supporting each and every girl and their families, financially, and morally,” Nagat Radwan, the executive manager of the Al Nour Wal Amal Chamber Orchestra, shares with me, adding that Fikry’s principles and humility made her forbid anyone from revealing the details of her countless deeds.
Radwan joined the association in the late 1980s, when Fikry was already in charge of international relations. “I started interacting with her more during travels, and bit by bit I uncovered the ocean of generosity. She would finance their personal lives, support and often fully pay for weddings, apartment arrangements, furniture and appliances. She would take care of their health, organise and finance their medical needs, operations, including major medical requirements such as a kidney transplant. She would stand by all the girls, their families, and all the employees of Al Nour Wal Amal.”
Radwan’s words are echoed by Shahinaz Salah, a double bass player with the orchestra since the late 1990s. “No wonder we were called the fourth Pyramid of Giza by international audiences. It was all due to the efforts of Madame Amal,” she comments.
Shahinaz consistently refers to Fikry as “Mother,” a testament to the profound influence she had on those around her. She also emphasises Fikry’s unconditional altruism, diplomacy, respect for others, finesse, and her equitable approach to managing the Institute, always free of favoritism or prejudice.
“In everything she did, everyone was treated equally—with love and respect. She expected the same from all of us. ‘We are all one family,’ she would always say. At the same time, Madame Amal never let us feel the immense effort behind her actions. We always saw the final, wonderful result, whether it was a major managerial task or the smallest detail.”
Over the past years, I wrote many articles about Al Nour Wal Amal, quoting several of its members. In each of them, all musicians of the orchestra and other members of Al Nour Wal Amal use only superlatives to describe Fikry. Dedicated, loving, supportive, caring, encouraging, confidential, trustworthy, generous are among the adjectives that recur in their comments.
“Indeed, her generosity and efforts were boundless,” says Hala Hashem, one of Fikry’s three children, the only one actively involved in the association.
“She supported the orchestra as musicians and as human beings. Her kindness extended to the staff and anyone who crossed her path. She gave of her own heart. In fact, my father was an equal supporter, yet more behind the scenes. He always encouraged my mother to embrace Al Nour Wal Amal.”
“I am her daughter, yet everyone who encountered her would tell you how wonderful she was. She was truly flawless — never angry, always caring, understanding, and forgiving. She had many friends, all around the world, who loved her dearly. Even though she was a strict mother at home, but she always remained kind and loving.”
All of this was wrapped in elegance. “She was always very conscious of how she dressed, taking time to match her outfits with accessories,” Hashem adds. Fikry radiated unparalleled finesse in everything she did — from speaking about the orchestra on stage to engaging with diplomats and officials. She spoke English and French fluently, and knew some German.
What set Fikry apart was her intelligence and her ability to express her ideas with grace and diplomacy, leaving everyone she met feeling valued and inspired. Her charm, her beautiful smile and magnetic energy drew people to her and to the association, with many of her friends becoming involved with Al Nour Wal Amal.
“My mother would travel a lot, she was very fond of her explorations; not many know how much she enjoyed swimming,” Hashem comments on Fikry’s world-trotting and her little pleasures. She cherished travelling with the orchestra but also with family, friends, and even on solo adventures.
In 2013, Fikry revealed, “Above all, I take pleasure in tracing the Egyptian antiquities that found a home in the many museums across the world. It is always interesting to see how the treasures from ancient Egypt are beautifully displayed outside the country…”
She then enumerated a list of her favourite museums, from the Louvre in Paris, to the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, and the many museums she visited with her family in London, Chicago, Italy, Spain and endless other countries.
It was partly her love of discovering cultures, history, cuisines, museums, that fuelled Fikry’s desire to share these experiences with the orchestra, ensuring they, too, could benefit from her knowledge and connections, and explore the world. She wanted to gift the orchestra with exposure to new cultures, believing that this interaction greatly contributes to the development of people.
Fikry’s vision was to provide the musicians with opportunities for growth — both in music and in life — and she made sure that the orchestra’s international tours were as educational as they were celebratory. After each trip with the orchestra, she would scrupulously document the adventures.
Fikry took the girls across the world, where the orchestra received the highest praise. But she always hoped for more opportunities and recognition in their home country. And though Fikry was decorated by President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi in 2018, she always campaigned for Egyptian cultural institutions to embrace the orchestra more frequently and during the important national events.
The renown of the orchestra stands as a testament to Fikry’s life’s work. One year after her passing, her presence is still deeply felt within the Al Nour Wal Amal Orchestra and Association. Photographs of her adorn the association’s walls, serving as a lasting reminder of the orchestra’s many accolades and international achievements.
Amal Fikry transformed the lives of the girls at Al Nour Wal Amal, opening doors through countless opportunities, boundless kindness, and guidance. Her legacy lives on in every note played by the orchestra and in every heart she touched.
Fikry’s impact transcends time, remaining a shining example of rare values. Her unparalleled work may never be replicated, but there is reason to hope the orchestra’s journey will uphold to reflect her legacy.
* A version of this article appears in print in the 27 February, 2025 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly
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