Tourism & Hospitality | Thursday 4 January, 2018 11:57 am |

Sharjah World Music Festival 2018 (SWMF), presented by Sharjah Investment and Development Authority (Shurooq) in a strategic partnership with Sharjah Commerce and Tourism Development Authority (SCTDA) and Al Majaz Amphitheatre, and organised by Furat Qaddouri Music Centre, has announced a magical evening of classical music and jazz on January 18, 2018, at The Flag Island Amphitheatre.

 

Multi-award winning violinist, singer, dancer and Theremin player Katica Illényi, one of Hungary’s most versatile and popular musicians, and Mohammed Othman Siddiq, who will be conducting the SWMF Orchestra, will star in a sublime evening at the fifth edition of the festival, which runs from 12 to 19 January.

 

Ms Illényi has been honoured with some of Hungary’s most prestigious state awards and her recordings have earned her several gold and platinum record sales internationally, adding to her reputation as a musician whose talents span many genres and cultures.

 

As one of Iraq’s most admired conductors, Mohammed Othman Siddiq will be leading the dedicated SWMF orchestra, an ensemble of the region’s most talented classical musicians, a concept of ​​the artist and the manager of the festival, Furat Qaddouri.

 

The conductor, whose works have been distinguished by the combination of Oriental Arabic musical instruments, is best known for promoting Arabic music to the rest of the world through seven musical compositions named ‘Sharkiat’.

 

The festival features a stunning line-up of musicians and artists from 11 countries, including Egypt, Syria, Iraq, Spain, Argentina and Hungary, and 14 concerts, five of which are ticketed and being held at Al Majaz Amphitheatre and The Flag Island Amphitheatre. The nine remaining concerts will take place outdoors at Al Qasba and Al Majaz Waterfront and will offer free admission.

 

One of the festival’s special events will be a tribute night to late Egyptian singer Abdel Halim Hafez, known as the ‘Nightingale’, to be performed by the Cairo Opera House Orchestra.

 

Tickets for Sharjah World Music Festival’s concerts are available online at www.ticketmaster.ae and can be purchased at the customer service counters of Al Qasba Theatre, The Flag Island Amphitheatre , Al Majaz Amphitheatre and Al Majaz Waterfront.

 

By organising this first of its kind festival, Furat Qaddouri Music Centre seeks to boost the cultural and art presence of Sharjah and the UAE, introduce various musical cultures around the world to the UAE community and add a new dimension to the emirate’s repertoire of tourist, art and culture attractions.