Qatar Foundation presents Qatar Symphony

A philharmonic orchestra of more than 80 musicians will perform the symphony which is considered to be the first symphonic composition written to tell the story of challenges and achievements of the state of Qatar. A multimedia show of selected images and videos will accompany the musical show for almost an hour to complete this unique artistic evening.

The symphony is the first step in an ongoing effort by Qatar Foundation to celebrate the music as one of the most important arts, and as a universal language of all civilizations. The symphony is also a step to introduce the classical music to the Qatari society.

Qatar Foundation is one of the major organizations active in the fields of education and community development in Qatar and it is a model in the region. This initiative is guided by the belief of Qatar Foundation that community development is a comprehensive and diversified process and that music forms a major pillar in the development of any community.

Initiating the process, Qatar Foundation commissioned Dr. Salem Abdul Karem, a renowned musician and composer, to compose an orchestral musical piece inspired by the Qatari folkloric music reflecting the overall growth and progress of the state. During work, the composer has met several musicians and artists from Qatar such as Mr. Abdul Aziz Nasser, Mr. Mattar Al Kuwari, Mr. Mohamad Al Marzooqi and Mr. Ali Abdul Satar as artistic advisors in order to maintain the authenticity and the essence of the heritage in the melody. The result of this determination and hard work was the first symphonic musical piece in Qatar to treat the folkloric melodies in an international orchestral form.

The orchestra will be performing the symphony over two evenings on the 1st and 2nd of June at the Ritz Carlton hotel, where the tennis court venue will be transformed to accommodate state of the art audiovisual equipment, and cater to the needs and requirements of the elite musicians who will come from eastern Europe and Russia for this unique event.

The symphony is built on the classical symphony form of four movements with the use of Qatari folkloric melodies in different parts of the symphony as symbols within the context.

The symphony is sponsored by Qatar Petroleum as the platinum sponsor, Qatar Fuel Company (Woqod) as the golden sponsor and Qatar Navigation Company as the bronze sponsor. This support is a result of the trust by the Qatari companies in Qatar Foundation and its vital role in community development.