The 33rd edition of the Arab Music Festival and Conference, which has chosen Om Kothoum as its figurehead on the 50th anniversary of her death, will begin under the patronage of Dr. Ahmed Fouad Hanno, Minister of Culture, and will continue for 10 consecutive days from October 16 to 25.

It includes 41 concerts and musical performances featuring 83 artists, including Amal Maher, Medhat Saleh, Wael Jassar (Lebanon), Hani Shaker, Omar Khairat, Mohamed El Helw, Reham Abdel Hakim, Ali El Haggar, Marwa Nagi, Mohamed Tharwat, Mai Farouk, Soma, Saber Al-Ruba’i (Tunisia), Suhaila Bahgat, Fouad Zabad (Morocco), Nadia Mostafa, Hanin Al-Shater, Hossam Hosni, Kenz, Farah Al-Mouji, Asmaa Kamal, Amr Selim, Ayat Farouk, Mohamed Hassan, Moamen Khalil, Rahab Mattawa, Ahmed Afat, Inas Ezz El-Din, Mai Hassan, Manar Samir, Hanan Essam, Nihad Fathy, Rahab Omar, Mohamed El-Toukhy, Noha Hafez, Walid Haydar, Yasser Soliman, Ghada Adam, Mahmoud Abdel Hamid, Abeer Amin, Essam Mahmoud, Dalia Abdel Wahab, Ayah Abdullah, Yahya Abdel Halim, Ahmed Saeed, Hend Al-Nahhas, Ibrahim Ramadan, Reem Hamdy, Hanan Al-Khouly, Mohy Salah, Ahmed Al-Waziri, Ahmed Sabri, Mohamed Shawki, Mohamed Abdel Hamid, Ashraf Zidan, Hatem Zidan, Ibrahim Farouk, Tamer Najah, Ehab Nada, Samah Abbas, Heba Adel, Angham Mustafa, Mohamed Tarek, Walaa Talba, Ahmed Ragab, Sameh Mounir, Ahmed Essam, Alaa Ayub, Ahmed Mohsen, Radwa Saeed, Mohamed Metwally, Amira Ahmed, Tamer Abdel Nabi, Ashraf Walid, Mohamed El-Khouly, Yasser Saeed, Saeed Othman, Amir Refai, El-Sayed Wahballah, Heba Ismail, Wael Abu El-Fotouh, Yomna Hassan, and Sara Magdy.

The scientific conference accompanying the festival will see the participation of 41 researchers from 15 Arab and foreign countries (Egypt, Jordan, Tunisia, Palestine, Kuwait, Lebanon, America, Saudi Arabia, Sweden, Bahrain, Sudan, Iraq, Oman, Yemen, and Morocco) at various opera houses in Cairo (Al-Nafoura, Al-Saghir, the Arab Music Institute, Al-Gomhouriya), Sayed Darwish Theater (Alexandria Opera House), and Damanhour Opera House. The scientific conference will discuss the topic of Arabic music in light of the digital transformation… Prospects and challenges will be explored through four themes: the future of Arabic music in the age of artificial intelligence, the prospects for music education in light of technological developments, documentary insights since the 1932 conference in Cairo and their development in light of the digital revolution, and the challenges of Arabic music production (composition, melody, distribution, and performance). in light of the digital transformation, in addition to the accompanying competition, which includes three sections. The first is named after Dr. Ratiba Al-Hafni and is dedicated to Arabic singing for young people aged 17 to 40. Three prizes totaling 120,000 pounds have been allocated for the winners, and contestants are required to perform one of the works of Om Kalthoum, the Star of the East, and another of their choice. The second section is dedicated to Arabic music ensembles for the 18 to 45 age group. The ensemble must consist of 5 to 7 musicians and perform a piece in one of the Arabic music styles (sama’i or dunga) in addition to another piece of their choice. The prize for the winning ensemble is 70,000 pounds. The third section is named after Dr. Ratiba Al-Hafni and is dedicated to Arabic singing for children aged 6 to 12. Prizes totaling 90,000 pounds have been allocated for the winners, and contestants are required to perform one of the works of Om Kalthoum, the Star of the East, in addition to a song of their choice.

An exhibition of Arabic calligraphy by artist Yousry Al-Mamlouk will be held from October 16 to 25 in the Salah Taher Hall, alongside an exhibition by young calligraphers from October 19 to 22 in the Ziad Bakir Hall at the Music Library.

During the opening ceremony at the Fountain Theater, Dr. Ahmed Fouad Hanno, Minister of Culture, and Dr. Alaa Abdel Salam, President of the Opera House, will honor 11 personalities who have contributed to enriching artistic life in Egypt and the Arab world. They are Dr. Hisham Sharaf (Jordan), artist Naima Samih (Morocco), poet Al-Hadi Adam (Sudan), kola player Ibrahim Fathy (Egypt), Dr. Shirin Abdullatif, professor of Arabic music and dean of the Faculty of Music Education, Helwan University, and chair of the Scientific Committee (Egypt), musician and guitarist Jalal Foda (Egypt), Maestro Hassan Fikry (Egypt), Poet Wael Hilal (Egypt), Composer Khaled Ezz (Egypt), Singer Mohamed El Helw (Egypt), Singer Amal Maher (Egypt).

The opening ceremony will be directed by Mahdi Al-Sayed, with set and graphic design by Abdel Moneim Al-Masri. It will include a film about the life of Om Kalthoum, the festival’s guest of honor, directed by Samer Madi, and a concert by star Amal Maher, accompanied by an orchestra conducted by Maestro Tamer Fathy.

Venue

Al-Nafoura Theater – Opera House

Arab Music Institute

Sayed Darwish Theater

Al-Gomhouriya Theater

Time

8:30 p.m.