Arab composers residency and Bushra El-Turk premiere

Bushra El-Turk

The Royal Opera in collaboration with Shubbak the UK festival of contemporary Arab culture, and in partnership with the Abu Dhabi Festival, is presenting four emerging Arab composers in a London residency from 10 to 14 July 2017. This will include the premiere of scenes from Woman at Point Zero, by Lebanese composer Bushra El-Turk at a concert at LSO St Luke's on 13 July, as well as existing works by the four composers resident for the Festival. 

The four composers are Nabil Benabdeljalil (Moroccan), Bahaa El-Ansary (Egyptian), Amir Elsaffar (Iraq-American) and Nadim Husni (Syrian). During the residency, the four emerging composers will experience the work of both The Royal Opera and Shubbak Festival, exploring current and future artistic practice with mentors from both organisations and engaging with leading creatives and producers, and fellow writers and composers.

Woman at Point Zero is a seminal novel by Egyptian author, feminist and doctor Nawal el Saadawi. Bushra El-Turk’s adaptation of the work was conceived in collaboration with German Egyptian soprano Merit Ariane Stephanos, who sings the role of Firdaus, with a libretto by British Egyptian writer Sabrina Mahfouz and directed by Maria Koripas, with a diverse wind ensemble featuring members of Ensemble Zar.

Shubbak: A Window on Contemporary Arab Culture will run from 1 to 16 July 2017.