The 26th edition of the Bahrain International Music Festival will kick off at the Bahrain National Theatre with “Gala Mozart: Le Concert d’Astree”.

On Thursday, October 19, a concert will be organized by Festival Aix-en-Provence and featuring the acclaimed French orchestra Le Concert d’Astree. The festival, which runs 28 October and is organized by the Bahrain Authority for Culture and Antiquities (BACA), features a mix of local and international musical artists and various other music-related activities at various locations across Bahrain, including the Bahrain National Museum, Cultural Hall, Art Centre and Dar Al-Muharraq.

Commenting on the announcement, BACA President Shaikha Mai bint Mohammed Al Khalifa said: “Every year, the Kingdom of Bahrain brings together an exceptional group of musical innovators from home and abroad to engage with the local audience in a language that everyone understands; the language of music.”

“For over a quarter-century, we have been building bridges with one another through the festival, creating a common space for cultural and civilizational exchanges,” she added.

Shaikha Mai also noted BACA’s keenness to highlight Bahraini innovation and creativity in the festival through concerts by local bands and lectures by Bahraini artists who specialise in art and folklore. “This cultural achievement, which reflects the sustainability of our cultural seasons, is the result of individuals who have contributed so much to the music and arts landscape in Bahrain,” she stated.

Le Concert d’Astree’s performance is part of the orchestra’s tour which kicked off at the Champs-Elysées, and features the music of legendary composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart which gloriously reflects the depth of human emotion. Led by maestro and founder Emmanuelle Haïm, Le Concert d’Atree is considered one of the finest Baroque music orchestras in the world. It receives support from the French city of Lille and the French Ministry of Culture to perform in the world’s leading theaters and music festivals.

The Cultural Hall will also host a several public musical performances by artists from Spain, Egypt, Lebanon and Bahrain, which are open to the public.

On 20 October, French band Tangomot?n Quartet will perform a unique showcase of Argentinean Tango infused with as pop-rock, electro and gypsy music influences that draw from the band members’ collaborations with other famous musicians from different genres and their own individual journeys.

On 24 October, Flamenco fans will encounter the Spanish virtuoso pianist Manolo Carrasco in a memorable concert of the very best Spanish flamenco and classical music from the 19th century to present day in his latest project “Sounds from Spain”.

On October 25, Bahrain’s Rising Stars concert is a three-for-one musical treat featuring a trio of the island’s best known jazz bands, including the Gypsy Jazz-influenced Mohammed Rashid Trio, AQ’s smooth blend of jazz, swing, and blues-era hits, and the unique Jazz and Arabic/ Turkish folk music fusion by Mohammed Jabbari Band featuring Banah.

On 27 October, composer Tarek Yamani will perform selected pieces from his latest album Peninsular which explores diverse musical rhythms of the Arabian Peninsula from a unique and entirely new perspective featuring Yemeni singer Adel Abdullah as a special guest.

The Bahrain National Museum, meanwhile, will host a screening of Crescendo! The Power of Music on 21 October at 4:00 pm, a powerful film which follows the stories of three promising yet troubled musical talents who participate in the international orchestral program El Sistema which seeks to bring about social change among marginalized children.

Muharraq’s Dar Al-Muharraq and Dar Janna will respectively host traditional gipsy music concerts on 21 and 28 October at 8:00 pm, a genre that is considered one of the most famous aspects of Bahrain’s splendid pearl diving heritage.

On October 28 at 7:00 pm, Dar Al-Muharraq will also host a lecture by Dr. Rashed Najem Al-Najem, Vice-President of Bahrain Writers Association, entitled “Fayy Al Barayeh” in which he analyzes how Bahraini songs have become time capsules of times and places that have fallen by the wayside due to urban encroachment. .

In addition, the Bahrain International Music Festival is collaborating with the famous Café Lilou in Bahrain to launch a special menu just for the festival featuring famous dishes from the participating artists’ home country cuisines. The Art Center will also host the 3rd edition of Nashaz (i.e. “Dissoance”), an annual exhibition in which a group of young Bahraini creatives from different disciplines, such as music, engineering, fine arts and others, create art installations inspired by music.

Source: Fana News