Egyptian violinist and composer captivates hearts of audiences in Muscat

Ahram Online, Sunday 9 Dec 2012

Yasser Abdel-Rahman performs alongside Budapest Symphony Orchestra at Royal Opera House Muscat in Oman; show will travel to Budapest in March 2013

Yasser Abdel Rahman

Award-winning Egyptian composer and violinist Yasser Abdel-Rahman vowed audiences when he performed a selection of film scores at the Royal Opera House Muscat in Oman on 6 December.

Themed 'Immerse Yourself', the concert was a collaboration between the renowned Budapest Symphony Orchestra and Egyptian musicians representing folkloric and oriental music. Abdel-Rahman conducted the orchestra and performed a violin solo, adding lots of improvisation.

The concert included rababas (folkloric string instrument), mezmar (wind instrument), nay (kind of flute) and kanoon (string instrument) – played by six folkloric musicians who do not read music and performed without scores. They were joined by 14 professional oriental musicians performing the oud (kind of lute), guitar and Arabic percussion, in addition to drums and piano. The oriental music combined with the big symphonic orchestra gave a unique flavour to the evening which was enjoyed by an audience of many nationalities and cultures.

The programme included a selection from Abdel-Rahman's film scores such as Fares Bela Gawad (Knight without a horse), El-Emberator (The Emperor), Ayyam El-Sadat (The days of Sadat), Nasser 56, among many others. Music to Heya Fawda (This is chaos) directed by Youssef Chahine and Khaled Youssef were well-received. There was also a unique solo of music from Leilet El-Baby Doll (The baby doll night).

The same programme will travel to Hungary where it will be performed during the upcoming Budapest Spring Festival in March 2013.

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