QPO 15th anniversary final celebration today

The Qatar Philharmonic Orchestra's final celebration of its 15th anniversary will be held Saturday with the QPO on Tour concert, accompanied by the Qatar Concert Choir, at Qatar National Convention Centre (QNCC). Renowned conductor Elias Grandy will lead the concert, which showcases remarkable musical compositions from various countries visited by the QPO in the past, including Syria, England, the US, France, Italy, Austria, Russia, and China.

Reflecting on the anniversary, Kurt Meister, QPO executive director, said: “Over the past decade, QPO has garnered its reputation as a world-class orchestra that offers a unique blend of compositions from East and West. It started with auditions held in various European and Arab countries, and today it has matured into an ensemble that has had world premieres from Damascus to London, and St Petersburg to New York.

"The Qatar Philharmonic Orchestra is unique not only for its combination of Arab and Western music, but also its diversity with musicians ranging from 28 different nationalities; QPO is one of the most diverse orchestras in the world. This diversity not only manifests itself in QPO’s melodies, but also represents the character and culture of Qatar”.

Nasser Sahim al-Jassim, deputy executive director said: “The Qatar Philharmonic Orchestra aims to bring together communities through the power of music and showcase the rich Qatari culture and heritage to the global stage. By seamlessly blending Eastern and Western classical music and traditional harmonies, the orchestra creates a unique musical experience. With a focus on diverse musical genres, including folklore and Maqam music, the Qatar Philharmonic Orchestra celebrates the richness and diversity of musical traditions.”

The QPO was founded in 2007 as a centre in the Qatar Foundation, chaired by Her Highness Sheikha Moza bint Nasser. The Qatar Philharmonic gives on average 40 different performances per year in venues such as QNCC, Abdul Aziz Nasser Theatre, and the Katara Opera House, which it opened in December 2010 with the world premiere of Marcel Khalifé’s Rababa Concerto.

Touring performances have included the Royal Albert Hall in London, the Kennedy Center in Washington, Teatro a La Scala in Milan, Theatre des Champs-Elysées in Paris, the Konzerthaus in Vienna for the 50th anniversary of OPEC, the Syrian Opera House in Damascus, the United Nations General Assembly, the BBC Proms in London, Linz Brucknerhaus and Santa Cecilia Hall in Rome.