Qatar Philharmonic lines up events for May
A series of musical treats have been lined up by the Qatar Philharmonic Orchestra this May. |
On May 1, Michalis Economou - in his final appearance as music director - will lead the orchestra in Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov’s homage to 1001 Nights, Scheherazade, at Katara Opera House.
Maestro Economou will also conduct Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s final piano concerto, No 27 in B flat major, with pianist Sonja Park.
The next day’s highlight is Chamber Music at Museum of Islamic Art: Shostakovich Octet. It will feature Islam Nour el-Hefnawy on the violin.
On May 11, Andreas Weiser returns to Doha to conduct Antonin Dvorak’s Seventh Symphony at Katara Opera House. Carefree joy, melancholy and ecstasy all have their place in this piece. Also, Vincent Daoud will be the guest artiste in Marcel Mihalovici’s Chant premier, a concerto for tenor saxophone and orchestra.
Four days later, on May 15, Katara Opera House will host Chamber Music Series:
Pearls of Romantic Music, featuring Elizaveta Hesse, Michael Hesse, Ivaylo Daskalov and Park.
Aleksandr Markovic will be the conductor of Atiya Sharara’s Arabic Suite, Robert Schumann’s Piano Concerto and Aleksandr Scriabin’s Second Symphony at Katara Opera House on May 18. The Schumann, which will be performed by Jasminka Stancul, is the consummate romantic piano concerto.
Then, on May 23, the Qatar Philharmonic will perform the world premiere of Marcel Khalife’s Kanun Concerto with Gilbert Yammine as soloist.
Algerian conductor Amine Kouider will lead the programme, which will also include Sergei Rachmaninoff’s Third Symphony and Smail Benhouhou’s Rihla. Yammine has been playing the kanun since the age of 10. Both Kouider and Khalife are Unesco Artists for Peace.
On June 1, music director-designate Han-Na Chang will conduct the Philharmonic at Qatar National Convention Centre in a concert.
QIB gold sponsor of investment forum
Qatar Islamic Bank (QIB) will be a Gold Sponsor of the two-day Business & Investment in Qatar Forum, which gets under way in Berlin tomorrow.
The forum will be convened under the patronage and in the presence of HE the Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim bin Jabor al-Thani at a time when Qatar sets an example of economic excellence - regionally and internationally - based on a clear vision and with the aim of developing a competitive and open economy.
A number of government officials, high net worth investors and representatives of both the public and private sectors will attend the forum, which will promote Qatar’s economy, its strategic vision and the opportunities for investment.
Shafallah trainees to attend mall inauguration
Preparations are under way for the launch of the initial phase of Ezdan Mall tomorrow. As part of the programme, more than 100 trainees from Shafallah Centre for Children with Special Needs will be present as honoured guests to officially announce the launch. Malik Awan, general manager of Ezdan Mall, said: “Ezdan Mall is a social place where families can shop, and marketing efforts have been channelled towards connecting with the community. Keeping this in mind, it gives us great pleasure to partner with our wonderful brothers and sisters from Shafallah Centre for the launch. Soon, we will also announce a job placement programme in our mall for some of the Shafallah graduates.”
Thai envoy to host Songkran celebrations
The Thailand embassy, in conjunction with Mövenpick Tower & Suites Doha, will host a celebration of Thai culture at Asian restaurant Wok Mee Noodle House tomorrow to mark the Thai New Year.
The ancient festival of Songkran or Thai New Year will be recreated in the hotel with a cocktail dinner, followed by cultural performances such as the traditional Thai Rum Terd Terng drum dance and the playing of the Thai xylophone.
To mark the occasion, Thailand’s ambassador to Qatar Panyarak Poolthup and Mövenpick general manager Ghada Sadek will open the ceremony with an official ribbon-cutting and launch the two-week promotion of Thai food at Wok Mee Noodle House for the third consecutive year.
Guests will be able to enjoy a special Thai business lunch promotion at QR85, including drinks and menus featuring authentic Thai cuisine, with favourites such as Thod Mun Goong, Gaeng Som, Gaeng Keaw Waan, Phad Thai and Kao Neaw Ma-Maung. They can also choose from a Thai a-la-carte menu, available for lunch and dinner.
Dishes such as Thai Papaya Salad, Fried Chicken Parcel, Steamed Fish with Lemon Grass and a variety of curries will be given a twist by Thai chef Janthakhon Somsak.
In line with the celebration of Thai cuisine from April 15 to 29, Mövenpick Tower & Suites Doha will also promote a competition, “Name the restaurant and your favourite dish and win a trip to Thailand”, at Wok Mee Noodle House.
On April 29, the hotel’s management will announce the winners of three prizes. These include the grand prize of two tickets to Thailand with a complimentary three-day stay at Mövenpick Resort & Spa Karon Beach Phuket, and the runner-up prizes of a weekend for two at Mövenpick Tower & Suites Doha, including a Royal Thai massage, and a day at Bay View 26 Wellness Centre for two.
Film fest attracts Europe youth
The Aljazeera International Documentary Film Festival has become a major attraction for European youth. The event’s management has received several applications from European students to attend the festival or work as volunteers. |
One such e-mail came from a British family, who wanted their daughter to participate in the festival as a volunteer as it would help her gain the required experience and get to know more about documentary films.
Abbas Arnaout, managing director of the festival, expressed happiness at receiving dozens of e-mails from European youth. He was also enthusiastic about the e-mail he got from the British family. “This indicates that our festival has expanded and the European audience holds it in high esteem,” he said.
The jury panel for the festival’s competition has been formed.
The festival will be held in Doha from April 18-21.