Lendorfer Schuhplattler in Syria
Despite Bosra International festival postponement to next year, Lendorfer Schuhplattler dance and music group from Southern Austria didn’t cancel its trip to Syria. The preparations for the trip went smooth and yesterday the group arrived to Damascus! Today the group had performance in Azem Palace, one of most attractive Damascus style houses, that was home of Azem family and now is museum. Recently it restauration works have finished and it is even more beautiful then before. It is very cozy, can host not more than 400 people, and Ministry of Culture holds their presentations, concerts, it is one of the venues where Bosra Festival groups perform in Damascus. This year when we informed Mr. Nazih Khouri that Austrian group is traveling to Damascus, he was so kind to book this impressive venue for Lendorfer Schuhplattler. Continue Reading
Music cooperation from Brams to Einem in Syrian National Opera House
A concert in the Syrian National Opera Dar al-Assad comes as culmination of four years successful Austrian-Syrian cooperation in the field of modern music and composition. On 18 March, Damascus Conservatory Orchestra will present a concert program, which includes works by Hassan Taha, Zaed Jabri, Johannes Brahms, and Gottfried von Einem. Already in February the younger generation of Syrian musicians under the direction of Austrian conductor Ewald Donhoffer and chief conductor of the Syrian National Orchestra Missak Baghboudarian were engaged in intensive rehearsals of contemporary Austrian and Syrian music and its roots. Continue Reading
Silk Road festival
Last month the New York Times published a list of recommended tourist sites for 2010. Damascus came in seventh and the writer was introducing the Syrian capital as the “new Marrakesh,” where ancient buildings are turning into boutique hotels. Continue Reading