QNL to host Qatar Philharmonic Orchestra concerts

Qatar National Library (QNL) and Qatar Philharmonic Orchestra, both members of Qatar Foundation (QF), have announced a series of free monthly concerts to be held in QNL’s special events area. The collaboration is an opportunity for members of the wider community to learn about a variety of musical genres from the Arab world and beyond. The first concert, titled ‘Philharmonic at the Library: MAias Alyamani’s To Doha With Love,’ will be staged on January 18 at 6pm, and will be led by Sub-principal Violin II MAias Alyamani, a famous Arab violinist and one of the Philharmonic’s original 101 musicians. The programme celebrates a decade of Alyamani’s compositions and arrangements for Qatar, including music for the Arab Games; Qatar Airways music of Dana Alfardan; and the documentary film about chess in Qatar, Kings and Queens of Qatar. Dr Sohair F Wastawy, executive director, QNL, said:  “We are looking forward to welcoming members of the wider community to our beautiful building during this concert series. This joint effort is primarily aimed at widening the reach of the Philharmonic’s music and ensuring QNL can play its part in preserving Qatar’s heritage, while providing members of the community with a range of diverse learning opportunities.”  Highlighting the launch of the new series, Kurt Meister, executive director, Qatar Philharmonic Orchestra, said: “We’ve been pleased with our existing partnership with the Qatar National Library, in which QNL has hosted curated playlists that have allowed Qatar’s residents and library members to listen to music played at our concerts in their homes. Now that QNL has opened, we believe hosting concerts here will help us introduce music to an even wider audience.”  A native of Syria, MAias Alyamani has a Master’s degree from the Vienna University of Music, majoring in violin performance with special focus on composition. In 2006, MAias established MAqam Ensemble, specialising in classical Arabic music.