Syrian Symphony-Concerts in Italy

The 58-musician Syrian National Symphony led by Maestro Bagbodirian has opened the Italian Livorno annual Festival for Music and Theater.

The Symphony played the Syrian and Italian anthems at the start of the Festival, followed by musical re-playing of prominent Syrian musicians and composers like Sulhi al-Wadi, Diaa Sukker, Mohammad Abdul Karim and Nahed Halabi along with other pieces of Syrian music.

Earlier, Livorno Mayor Alessandro Cusinni and the City Council members met Director of the Syrian al-Assad House ( Dar) for Culture and Arts Nabil al-Lou and Rector of the Higher Institute of Music Athil Hamdan in the presence of Charge D' Affairs at the Syrian embassy in Rome, Hamza al-Dawalibi, the Culture Attache, Mazen Adi, and president and founder of Sham Association for Syrian-Italian Friendship.

The meeting focused on importance of the Syrian participation in Livorno Festival as the first Arab symphony to open such a festival. Both sides also underlines significance of music and its role in the process of communication and dialogue for peace and prosperity for peoples and countries of the Mediterranean basin and the world.

The Festival includes ten musical evenings and concerts in northern Italian cities as part of celebrations marking the announcement of Genoa as capital of culture in Europe.