Held at the Katara Opera House, the festival opened on 8 December and continues until 11 December. The event is part of an initiative that brings together Arab opera houses under the slogan 'Towards an Arab Operatic Renaissance,' with Katara awarded this year's title of City of Arab Opera.
The opening ceremony also presented the Cairo Opera House as the guest of honour for the festival's first edition.
The festival opened with Dr Khalid Ibrahim Al-Sulaiti, Director-General of the Katara Cultural Village, and Dr Mohamed Ould Amar, Director-General of the Arab League Educational, Cultural and Scientific Organization (ALECSO), honouring Omar Khairat in recognition of his illustrious career and his significant contributions to music.
A concert by the Cairo Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Maestro Ahmed Atef, followed, showcasing a selection of film-score compositions written by master composers for iconic films, including Ali Ismail, Fouad El-Zahiry, Youssef Shawky, Hassan Abu El-Saud, Andrea Ryder and Ammar El-Sherei.
A special segment featured Khairat's compositions for well-known films such as Qadeyet Aam Ahmed (Amm Ahmed's Case, 1985), E'dam Mayet (Execution of a Dead Man, 1985), and Al-Bakheel w Ana (The Miser and I, 1990), among others. The composer joined the orchestra in performing Laylat al-Qabd ‘Ala Fatimah (The Night of Fatima's Arrest, 1984).
One of the Top Musicians of the Arab World
Born in 1947, the multi-awarded Omar Khairat is among the best-known composers of his generation.
He has composed music for more than a hundred films and television series, with many of his melodies memorized by fans in Egypt and across the Arab world.
Khairat frequently gives concerts, presenting his music to live audiences.
These events take place on some of the most renowned stages in Egypt and the wider region, and are typically fully booked weeks in advance.
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