During his recent stay in Cairo, India-based French dancer and choreographer Gilles Chuyen spoke with Ahram Online about the Bollywood-style…
‘Art is not an intruder on society’: Rana Yazaji, Syrian cultural activist and Al Mawred’s director
Syrian cultural activist and managing director of Al Mawred Al Thaqafy talks about her passions and how, following the months-long…
سحر الجنينة فى حديقة الأزهر
يستعد مسرح الجنينة بالقاهرة لإطلاق حفلات موسيقية لموسمه لعام 2016، حيث تبدأ الفاعليات…
Magic of music: Renowned Swiss maestro on his career and art of conducting
The Swiss, Germany-based internationally renowned conductor Christoph-Mathias Mueller talks about his profession, an unconditional passion for music, art of conducting…
INTERVIEW: Cairo Opera Ballet’s artistic director on busy season, performances in Bahrain
Artistic Director Erminia Kamel talks about the Cairo Opera Ballet’s Company busy season prior to their yet another international appearance…
مصر و أوبرا عايدة
تقدم دار الأوبرا المصرية أربعة عروض لأوبرا عايدة بقيادة المايسترو ديفيد كريشنسى و إخراج عبد المنعم كامل «عايدة»، تعد واحدة…
Entretien — Andreas Pichler : Nous traitons les enfants comme des partenaires à part entière
Al-Ahram Hebdo : Comment est né votre spectacle Kling, Kleines Ding (pling, petite chose) récemment donné au Caire, dans le…
Stick Stones Broken Bones: Australia’s puppet theatre performs in Cairo
This year, the Hakawy International Arts Festival for Children featured the first contribution by Australia with Stick Stones Broken Bones…
Irresistible warning sign ‘Do not touch’ opens Egypt’s Hakawy Festival for children
On 4 March, a performance Aga Boom by the Theatre of Physical Comedy from the United States opened the Hakawy…
INTERVIEW: Perfectionism – introducing Egypt’s most recent opera star
When Fatma Said was announced the winner of eighth Veronica Dunne International Opera Competition in Dublin, Ireland, the news spread…
Passion calling
Tango, the dance of passion, remains one of the most visually attractive performance art forms which celebrates the body in…
The interpretation of dreams
Staged at the Cairo Opera House Main Hall on 27 and 28 January, A Sculptor’s Dream, directed and choreographed by…
‘Egypt is within me’: Prima ballerina Magda Saleh on her career and the gilded years
Renowned ballerina, a graduate of the Bolshoi ballet academy and Cairo’s Academy of Arts, former dean of the Higher Institute…
The devil is in the expectations: Spanish coffeehouse presented at the Cairo Opera
Between 5 and 8 January, the Cairo Opera House staged a performance inspired by the famed Spanish coffeehouse Café Gijón…
Confronting fear: how year 2015 brought Egypt’s audiences closer to classical music
Belief ‘you are not expected to like everything,’ seemed to be at the heart of approach to the audiences in…
Against all odds: Stories of the visually impaired women from Egypt’s Al Nour Wal Amal Orchestra
Girls and women from Egypt’s unique Al Nour Wal Amal Orchestra talk about their lives, joys and challenges embedded in…
Ars longa, vita brevis — Shakespeare, Mendelssohn, Per Poc Puppet Theatre: A many-sided conjunction at the Cairo Opera
Between 23 and 25 October, the Cairo Symphony Chamber Orchestra joined by the Per Poc Puppet Theatre from Spain performed…
Coppélia ballet premieres in Egypt: A dash of magic and lots of art
A magical tale, Coppélia was performed by the Cairo Opera Ballet Company, attracting whole families to the Opera House in…
Egyptian fishing village gets a vibrant makeover from local and international artists
In two weeks time, a group of artists painted the walls and boats of Borg El-Borollos, a small fishing town…
‘It’s a story of hope’: Egypt’s filmmaker on his rockumentary about Les Petits Chats
Young director Sherif Nakhla revives Egypt’s golden years through the rockumetary on the well-known band of the time, Les Petits…
Gandhi by Egyptian cartoonists, remembering old premises of Indian Cultural Centre in Cairo
The exhibition, which opened on 4 October, commemorates famed peacemaker Mahatma Gandhi, yet also triggers thoughts about the former and…
INTERVIEW: Ragaa Eldin: An Egyptian tenor finding his voice in Europe
A talk with the young tenor Ragaa Eldin about his path to success, international recognition, and the many shunned operatic talents…
Not so spectacular: Cairo Opera’s Moulin Rouge
Performed at the main hall of the Cairo Opera House last week, the Egyptian take on iconic Moulin Rouge musical…
Cats, children and strings: Awtar Quartet visits Cairo’s poor neighborhood
Awtar Quartet brought music and storytelling to Artellewa arts centre and Tawasol School in Stabl Antar, both located at the…
INTERVIEW: Basma El-Husseiny, from Culture Resource to Syrian refugees in Lebanon
Cultural activist Basma El-Husseiny talks about the now Beirut-based Culture Resource, the reason behind suspending its activities in Egypt, the…
From India to Egypt: When humankind speaks through Kathak classical dance
We move from the performance of India’s renowned Kathak dancer Prachee Shah in Cairo to Kathak courses organised by Maulana…
‘No one really knows Cairo – it’s too big’: Mapping Ramadan 2015 music scene
This year Ramadan comes with an abundance of music filling many Cairo stages, providing a lively refreshment to the hot…
Egypt stretches for celebrations of first International Yoga Day on 21 June
Football star Emad Meteb will join International Yoga Day celebrations at the Embassy of India; Renowned Indian actor Amitabh Bachchan…
On Cairo Opera Company’s brave foray with Verdi’s Il Trovatore
Staged earlier this month, Verdi’s Il Trovatore was a much needed refreshment for Egypt’s audiences and an opportunity to bring…
Living the spectacle: Why Egyptians worship Bollywood
This year, the India by the Nile festival brought several components addressing Egypt’s Bollywood lovers, uncovering – or reasserting –…
INTERVIEW: Elena Dzamashvili: If I’m born ten times, each time I’ll be a pianist
A visit to a Chopin’s disciple, Georgian pianist Elena Dzamashvili, in her little haven in Cairo The room is small…
When the passionate soul of tango reaches Cairo opera’s stage
In their first appearance in the Middle East and Africa, A Puro Tango Company transported the audience to the essence…
Keith Bartlett from Globe’s Hamlet: ‘As we travel, the play becomes better and better’
Ahram Online talks to Keith Bartlett, a British actor, about his part in the Globe theatre’s Hamlet and the unique…
All the world’s a stage: Hamlet’s game of contrasts captures Egyptian audience
Reaching out to audiences across the world, the Globe Theatre’s Hamlet manages to capture people of all cultural backgrounds and…
Bound for Carnegie Hall
Mohamed Shams is among the brightest stars of his generation. The pianist played recently at the Cairo Opera House and…
Globe to Globe associate producer: ‘Traveling with Hamlet is a joyous experience’
The Globe Theatre’s ambitious project carries Shakespeare’s tragedy Hamlet across the globe. Ahram Online talks to Tamsin Mehta, the associate…
Dundu: A giant German puppet visits Egypt
Year 2015 saw a particularly original opening when a large puppet called Dundu walked the streets of Cairo and Fayoum,…
Bluebirds’ serenade: On singing out of tune
The easiest natural thing to some, a completely impossible feat to others, the ability to sing in tune requires musical…
Generation of the greats: Egypt’s artists and intellectuals we lost in 2014
2014 left many voids in Egypt’s cultural landscape, as numerous artists and writers passed away, joining dozens of others we’ve…
All you need to know about Chopin Piano Competition Egypt
Underscoring Egypt’s contribution to the Chopin piano tradition, the recently held competition is an opportunity to review skills of the…
What goes on in the minds of ballet dancers
Continuing our exploration into the minds of the performing artists, Ahram Online talks to ballet dancers to understand what goes…
Egypt’s Firebird premiere: Risky experiment
Between 28 and 30 October, the Cairo Opera Ballet Company staged Danses qu’on croise and Egypt’s premiere of Stravinsky’s Firebird.…
INTERVIEW — Marcel Khalife: A musician with a rebel’s soul
Prior to his first concerts in Egypt since 2008, renowned Lebanese musician Marcel Khalife talks with Ahram Online about his…
Abiding with the light: Sonam Kalra and the Sufi Gospel Project in Cairo
On Wednesday 24 September Sonam Kalra and the Sufi Gospel Project fused music with spirituality in a unique performance at…
Vibe Studio: Where underground music and a production city dream meet
Ahmed Mohamed Sakran, founder of Vibe studio, the latest hub of underground music tells Ahram Online about the young and…
‘Culture will not come from a vacuum’: Fathy Salama
Prior to his upcoming concert with Ghalia Benali, Ahram Online talks to Fathy Salama about his plans and explores his…
Homo Sonantis: on the Cairo Opera new audiences’ behavioral problems
The below par behavior of the New Audience flocking to the Cairo Opera has become a serious issue which can…
Drama Music Fest presents live orchestral rendition of Egyptian film soundtracks
Ahmed Atef, the main dynamo behind this unprecedented musical event in Egypt, explains the aim of the festival scheduled for…
Creative progression: on development of arts festivals in Egypt, 2011-2014
Exceptional profusion of artistic festivals in the first months of 2014, points to a new reality we cannot overlook and…
Sanjoy Roy: “You need to be passionate about arts to be able to work in it”
Sanjoy Roy, main dynamo behind India by the Nile, reveals how he dedicated his life to art, and today runs…
2nd edition of India by the Nile adds cultural depth to Egypt
Taking place between 1 and 20 April, the second edition of India by the Nile will present a plethora of…
Hakawy: Nurturing children with valuable theatre and arts
One of AFCA’s biggest projects, the Hakawy International Arts Festival for Children, is a hope that the Egyptian children will…
Hakawy Festival for children kicks off with a bang
Hakawy International Arts Festival for Children opened Wednesday, 12 March, with captivating performances by Egypt’s Al-Darb Al-Ahmar Art School and…
Return of ballet Spartacus to the Cairo Opera House raises questions
The decision to cut parts of Spartacus showed a lack of understanding of what audiences appreciate in the ballet Published…
Theatre festival for children to brighten Cairo’s art and culture scene
Between 12 and 18 March, Hanager Arts Centre will hold the Hakawy children’s theatre festival. Ahram Online talks to Mohamed…
Dancers become choreographers during the newly launched festival
On 6 and 7 March, the main stage of the Cairo Opera House will launch Abdel Moneim Kamel Young Choreographers…
‘Spartacus’ back at Cairo Opera House after 4-year absence
Artistic director of the Cairo Opera Ballet Company Erminia Kamel talks with Ahram Online about the re-staging of the ballet…
Sudhir Tailang: Political cartooning in India
Prior to his visit to Egypt in April 2014, in his home in Delhi, Sudhir Tailang, renowned Indian cartoonist talks…
Urvashi Butalia: The feminist who redrew India’s publishing map
At India’s Jaipur Literature Festival, Ahram Online speaks to Urvashi Butalia ahead of her Egypt visit in April of the…
‘Arts Management is not magic’: Brett Egan from DeVos Institute
During his short visit in Cairo, Brett Egan, director of the DeVos Institute of Arts Management at the John F.…
Quartet: The bittersweet truths of performing artists
Screened during the 6th Panorama of the European Film, Dustin Hoffman’s directorial debut ‘Quartet’ accurately captures the dreams and faded…
Mirette Hanna: An inspiring soirée with a passionate young pianist
Mirette Hanna, winner of the Absolute First Prize at the Roma International Piano Competition, speaks of her unraveling journey as…
“Egyptians are very receptive to Indian culture”: director of the Maulana Azad Centre
In an interview with Ahram Online, Azar A.H. Khan, the newly appointed director of the Maulana Azad Centre, discusses the…
Conductors face legal action over protests against Brotherhood influence
Nayer Nagui and Hisham Gabr are being investigated for causing the Cairo Opera House financial losses, after leading strikes in…
Quatuor Voce: French string quartet visits Cairo
As part of its regular activities dedicated to presenting different music genres to its audience, on Wednesday 30 October, the…
Amnesty demands disclosure of imprisoned Pussy Riot member’s location
Amnesty International calls on Russia to disclose whereabouts of imprisoned Nadezhda Tolokonnikova, member of punk band Pussy Riot. Published in…
Remarkable Indian and Egyptian personalities meet at Maulana Azad Centre
Exhibition “Faces and Features” at the Maulana Azad Centre for Indian Culture displays an array of cartoons and caricatures of…
Fikry: Inspiration for Al-Nour Wal Amal blind musicians’ orchestra
Amal Fikry is the driving force behind the organisation’s chamber orchestra for visually impaired women, who have traveled the world…
Cairo Opera House to celebrate Giuseppe Verdi
Opera House to commemorate Verdi’s bicentennial anniversary with a variety of events during 2013-14 season. Published in Ahram Online During…
Hanaa Abdel Fattah: Always remembered…
Well-known director, actor, theatre critic and professor Hanaa Abdel Fattah passed away one year ago, on 19 October 2012; he…
Long standing ovations for Al-Nour Wal Amal in Germany
As part of their third visit to Germany, Al-Nour Wal Amal Chamber Orchestra — consisting of blind women musicians —…
Diverse facets of Mahatma Gandhi in Cairo’s Maulana Azad Centre
‘Spirit of Gandhi in Egypt’ presents posters, caricatures of famous peacemaker in bid to increase cultural cooperation between India and…
Cairo Opera House: 25 years of Egypt’s cultural history
As the Cairo Opera House celebrates its Silver Jubilee on 10 October, Ahram Online traces the quarter-of-a-century history of this…
Obituary: The memorable life of Ratiba El-Hefny
Ratiba El-Hefny, a woman who played many roles within the country’s cultural scene, remained active until the last months of…
Manal Mohei Eldin: The harpist
Winner of State Incentive Award for Arts 2013, Manal Mohei Eldin brings the harp to a wide audience and she…
Sanduq El-Dunia: Images from Cairo on Copenhagen’s interactive WALL
On 30 August, Sanduq El-Dunia opened in Copenhagen, representing images from Cairo on the award-winning WALL installation. Organisers hope to…
Denmark’s Superkilen melts dozens of cultures into a single pot
A plethora of ethnicities and cultures all merged in the creation of the award-winning Superkilen Park in Copenhagen, including ingredients…
Talents Development Centre: Blooming against all odds
The Talents Development Centre at Cairo’s Opera House continues to provide music and ballet education for children and young people…
Head scarves: inciting dialogue on Copenhagen’s street
Danish artist Katrine May Hansen questions the meanings behind head scarves by juxtaposing Indonesian and Danish cultures in an outdoor…
Maneuvering between the Obstacles
Egypt’s cultural scene has been struggling to survive since the 2011 revolution Published in The Majalla Since the January 2011…
Ines Abdel-Dayem returns to the Cairo Opera more dynamic than ever
In May, Ines Abdel-Dayem was fired from the Cairo Opera’s chair; in July she was offered ministerial post which she…
Egypt artists stage second anti-Morsi march to Tahrir Square
Hundreds of artists march to Cairo’s Tahrir Square on Tuesday to join nationwide demonstrations to demand President Morsi’s ouster. Published…
Egypt artists stage largest protest march since January 2011 revolution
Artists and intellectuals march in thousands with protesters chanting against Egypt’s embattled President Morsi and Muslim Brotherhood Published in Ahram…
Artists to bring their touch to Egypt’s 30 June protests
Protesters from Egypt’s culture scene will begin their 30 June protest in front of the culture ministry, banging wooden clogs…
Egypt’s Cairo Opera House: What’s next?
Following protests and on-stage strikes by the Cairo Opera House artists, many of opera companies returned back to work. Ahram…
Inside Cairo’s occupied culture ministry, life ‘goes on’ for employees
Ahram Online talks to culture ministry employees who are trying to get on with their work as normal, despite the…
From opposing culture minister to fighting for Egypt’s ‘identity’
Ongoing protests against culture minister have become a ‘fight for Egypt’s cultural soul and national identity’. Published in Ahram Online…
The Nutcracker and the Brotherhood King
The Egyptian ballet faces renewed challenges in the post-revolution era As recent government directives threaten to Islamize Egypt’s arts scene,…
Ati Metwaly 