Saudi Orchestra in London – Iman Hammoud Al-Shammari
Iman Hammoud Al-Shammari
As part of the Kingdom’s Vision 2030, the Saudi Orchestra was established in 2021, and received great support from the government as one of the unprecedented cultural and artistic transformations that reflects Saudi identity, and one of the foundations of development and cultural renaissance.
A group of talented Saudi musicians and a team of choirs who have received high-level musical training, carrying their instruments, their voice, their passion, and their country’s identity and conveying them to the world on a journey that began in Riyadh. I had the honor of attending their first performance in 2022 during the French Embassy’s ceremony on the occasion of: (The Annual Celebration of Peace and Unity). For members of the European Union) in the embassy district in Riyadh, where the Saudi orchestra participated, using traditional Eastern musical instruments, such as the oud and the qanun, with Western classical instruments such as the violin and cello. This unique blend and harmony that attracted attention and reflected the Kingdom’s rich heritage and ancient history, was the beginning of the international launch. The initiative, which bears the name: (Masterpieces of the Saudi Orchestra), toured the world with a tour that began in Paris as its first stop, then to Mexico, then New York in the United States of America. Now we are eagerly awaiting its fourth stop on September 28 at the Center Hall Theatre, Westminster in London.
The “Masterpieces of the Saudi Orchestra” concert in the British capital, London, comes as an extension of the global tours of the Saudi National Orchestra and Choir organized by the Music Authority every year, as an initiative of the Music Authority and the Theater and Performing Arts Authority, under the patronage of His Highness Prince Badr bin Abdullah bin Farhan, Minister of Culture. The concert will witness a special participation by the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, to present a group of musical pieces for which British music is famous, and (the masterpieces of the Saudi orchestra) will have upcoming stops in different cities.
Ali is more than embers. We are eagerly awaiting this global cultural dialogue that sheds light on Saudi culture and transports it on a whirlwind journey with tours. It is not just an opportunity to showcase Saudi talent, but also a bridge for cultural communication between the Kingdom and the world, given that music has a unique ability to convey messages of peace and understanding between people. Peoples, as the role of the orchestra in particular is an important tributary to strengthening cultural diplomacy, and conveys the image of the renewed Kingdom, the Kingdom of today, from the stereotypical image to presenting a new face of Saudi Arabia.
