Don’t miss the Christmas concerts at Cairo and Alexandria opera houses
Reham El-Adawi, Sunday 13 Dec 2020
Al-Ahram Weekly provides a guide to concerts this holiday season


The cultural activities have started gradually to reopen in the country. The reopening has included theatres, museums, galleries, national circus, which operate under the culture ministry. In its first stage, the resumption of activities will be open at only 25 percent audience capacity across all venues

Arab Music Institute

22 Ramsis St, Tel 02 2574 3373

Thurs 10, 8pm: Singer Rehab Metawaa in a concert of classical Arab songs.

Sun 13, 8pm: Nogoum Al-Tarab group, led by Mustafa Ahmed.

American University in Cairo

Wed 16, 4pm (Livestreaming): Mohamed Abou Rehab’s graduation recital - A Life of Guitar- with special guests Cairo Guitar Collective.
The livestreaming link and the concert programme will be posted on the event Facebook page https://fb.me/e/bdc6zuXhT

Beit Al-Seheimi

Al-Muaaz St, Al-Darb Al-Asfar Alley, Al-Gamalya District, Tel 02 2787 8865

Every Sunday, 7.30pm: The Nile Troupe for Folk Instruments, conducted byAbdel-Rahman Al-Shafaai, performs dances and songs from Upper Egypt on mizmar, tabla and other traditional musical instruments.
Every Friday, 7.30pm: “Al-Aragouz wa Khayal Al-Zel” (The Shadow Puppet), a free public performance by clowns in Al-Muaaz Street, presented byWamdaand directed byNabil Bahgat.

Cairo Opera House

Gezira Exhibition Grounds, Tel 02 2737 0602/2736 0361, box office 02 2739 0132/0144

Main Hall

Fri 11, 8pm: The Abdel-Halim Noweira Arab Music Ensemble.

Sat 12, 8pm: The Cairo Symphony Orchestra.

Sun 13 and Mon 14, 8pm: The Cairo Opera Company, led by Iman Mustafa and the Cairo Symphony Orchestra, conducted by maestro Ahmed Farag, together with the Cairo Opera Ballet Company, led by Erminia Kamel present two Christmas concerts. The concerts include excerpts of international musicals performed by the likes of mezzo soprano Gala El-Hadidi, sopranos Iman Mustafa, Mona Rafla, Tahia Shamseddin, tenors Walid Kareem, Reda Alwakeel, and many more.

Tues 15 and Wed 16, 8pm: Pianist Omar Khairat and his orchestra.

Thurs 17, 8pm: The National Arab Music ensemble performs classical Arab songs.

Small Hall

Tues 15, 8pm: The Egyptian Young Musicians Association concert.

Cairo Jazz Club

197, 26th July St, Agouza. Tel 02 3345 9939

Thurs 10, 9pm: Andromida band.

Al-Gumhouriya Theatre

12 Al-Gumhouriya St, Abdin, Tel 02 2390 7707

Thurs 10, 8pm: El-Enshad El-Dini troupe performs religious songs.

Fri 11, 8pm: Singer Ahlam Ahmed and her Alahlam band in a programme of classical Arab songs.

Sat 12, 8pm: Al-Hadra troupe for religious chanting.

Sun 13, 8pm: A concert of songs by late composer Baligh Hamdy.

Wed 16 and Thurs 17, 8pm: The Modern Dance Theatre Company presents The Mermaid performance.

Al-Ghouri Caravansary

Mohamed Abdou St, off Al-Muaaz St and Al-Azhar St, Tel 02 2514 7475
Al-Tanourawhirling dervishes perform to live Sufi music
(Performances every Sat, Mon, and Wed, 7pm).

Manasterly Palace

1 Al-Malek Al-Saleh St, Al-Roda Island, Manial, Tel 02 2363 1467

The International Music Centre

Fri 11, 8pm: Awtar Quartet in a long-awaited concert.

Room Art Space & Café

10 Etehaad Al Mohamin St, Garden City, Tel 01000 681539

Thurs 10, 9pm: “Mood of Oud”, a musical project which tends to illustrate some situations, human feelings and mind states through the music. Michael Onsy will present his own original compositions accompanied by Fady Ezzat (Percussions), Emad Sidhom (Bass Guitar) and Feras Nouh (Piano).

El-Sawy Culturewheel

End of 26th of July St, under the 15th of May Bridge, Zamalek, Tel 02 2736 8881/6178/2737 4448

River Hall

(No entry without a mask and the hall will be open at only 25 percent audience capacity)

Thurs 10, 7.30pm: Three progressive rock bands: Qarar Ezala, Radioactive Toy and Medic in one live concert.

Fri 11, 4 and 7pm: Poet Amr Hassan in a different musical-poetic concert.

Sat 12, 5pm: Five rock and roll bands: Cairopathix, Riverwood, Rocksea and Tafaqum in one live concert.

Sun 13, 7.30pm: Marco and Friends in a Christmas concert.

Wed 16, 7.30pm: Pink Floyd tribute band Paranoid Eyes is an Egyptian progressive rock band.

Thurs 17, 7pm: A singing recital by Mohamed Saeed.

Wisdom Hall

Fri 11, 7.30pm: VYRUS band is back in a rock concert.

Sat 12, 7pm: The Syrian Radwan Almaraashly troupe for religious chanting.

Thurs 17, 7.30pm: A singing recital by Neveen Ragab.

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ALEXANDRIA

Alexandria Opera House (Sayed Darwish Theatre)

Fouad St, Mahatat Al-Raml, Alexandria, Tel 03/486 5106

Thurs 10, 8pm: The Cairo Opera Company, led by Iman Mustafa and the Cairo Symphony Orchestra, conducted by maestro Ahmed Farag, together with the Cairo Opera Ballet Company, led by Erminia Kamel present a Christmas concert.

Fri 11, 8pm: Boghdady Big band, led by Magdy Boghdady.

Sat 12, 8pm: Ghenwat Zaman band.

Sun 13, 8pm: Tarek Al Arabi Tourgane troupe.

Wed 16, 8pm: Percussionist Nesma Abdel-Aziz plays on marimba accompanied by her band.

Thurs 17, 8pm: The Arab Music Heritage Ensemble performs classical Arab music and songs.



*A version of this article appears in print in the 10 December, 2020 edition ofAl-Ahram Weekly

https://english.ahram.org.eg/News/396507.aspx