The orchestra conducted by Elio Orciolo is scheduled to perform at the Gomhoreya Theatre on 1 February and Bibliotheca Alexandrina on 2 February.
In an evening dubbed The Italian Gala, the 55-musicians strong ensemble, which comprises 42 young Italian musicians from the Erasmus and over 10 Egyptian musicians, plays works by Paganini, Artunian, Donizetti, Bizet, Puccini and Monicone.
The soloists of the evenings are 14-year-old Mariam Abouzahra (violin), alonsgide Moustafa Gamal (trumpet), Sara Semilia (soprano) and Samuele Di Leo (tenor).
The youngest soloist, Mariam Abouzahra, a granddaughter of the Egyptian renowned actor Abdel-Rahman Abouzahra, plays the demanding first movement of Paganini's concerto no.1.
The Egyptian-Hungarian violinist has a large number of successes and concerts at renowned European venues under her belt. In 2022, she won the 'Golden Note' in a classical music competition organised by the Austrian TV ORF (Austrian Broadcasting Corporation). Soon afterwards, she garnered the silver award at the Nutcracker International Television Contest for Young Musicians.
Mariam Abouzahra started playing violin at the age of three, following the example of her elder sister Amira, also a highly successful violinist. Both sisters have been performing extensively and winning many international contests. The Abouzahra sisters are also among the few young talents who are offered support by the Young Virtuosos Foundation.
Mariam is currently studying at the University of Music and Performing Arts in Vienna under the tutelage of violin professor Dora Schwarzberg.
The Italian orchestra includes 12 young Egyptian musicians: Radwa Sameh (concert master), Huda Abdel-Azim (1st flute), Marwa Hamed (1st trombone), Iman Sayed Ragab (cello), Nora Ammar (percussion), Diaa El-Lithi (cello leader), Mohamed Said (bassoon), Amr Atef (violin), Mohamed Sakr (violin), Moustafa El-Herazi (viola from Bibliotheca Alexandrina Youth Orchestra) and Marwan El-Korashi (double bass from the Academy of Arts).
The Cairo and Alexandria concerts follow the orchestra's successful performance at the Luxor Temple on 30 January.
The Orchestra Giovanile Erasmus is an Italian Youth Orchestra; it is an extension of the Erasmus Orchestra founded in 2017 by the Italian Erasmus Plus (Erasmus+) organisation.
The Erasmus Orchestra uses music as a metaphor for integration, meeting and skills development beyond any linguistic, geographical and cultural barriers. The Orchestra also aims to promote the many Erasmus+ training and mobility opportunities for students in the Higher Artistic and Musical Education (AFAM) sector.
The orchestra's Egypt concerts are part of the study fair titled Study in Sicily. The fair is organized by the Italian Cultural Institute and Arabesque International, a cultural organisation founded and headed by Ahmed Abouzahra.
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