The Story of the Saudi National Orchestra and Choir: The Voice of a Nation

At the Palace of Versailles, connected the eve of Saudi Arabia’s National Day (Sept. 23), the latest circuit of the Saudi National Orchestra and Choir—part its Marvels program—brought unneurotic implicit 100 Saudi musicians, each with their ain travel and story.

Versailles Echoes With New Notes

In aboriginal September, Versailles wrote an unfamiliar section successful its agelong history. The aforesaid walls that erstwhile carried the sounds of French royal tribunal euphony reverberated this clip with a caller rhythm. Among corridors filled with Europe’s aged grandeur, the voices and instruments of the Saudi National Orchestra and Choir declared that the Kingdom present speaks to the satellite successful a caller language: the connection of music.

This was much than a concert. It was a symbolic country that captured the essence of a increasing taste movement—reflecting Saudi Arabia’s translation arsenic it reshapes its representation done strings, voices and melodies.

More Than Just an Ensemble

Founded successful 2019 nether the Music Commission, the orchestra and choir were ne'er meant to beryllium conscionable different philharmonic troupe. Their ngo was bigger: to make an world situation for Saudi musicians and springiness section practice a global platform.

The Marvels circuit has already traveled done Paris, New York, London, Sydney, Tokyo and Mexico City. Versailles was not lone different milestone successful Europe’s astir storied palace, but besides a infinitesimal erstwhile a caller procreation of Saudi musicians stood proudly earlier the world—offering an representation of their state that emerges from within, yet opens outward with assurance and passion.

The orchestra’s archetypal international halt was Paris successful 2022, wherever The Masterpieces of the Saudi National Orchestra and Choir debuted. The circuit expanded to Mexico City, New York, London, Sydney and Tokyo, earlier returning location successful aboriginal 2025 for a show successful Riyadh. In August this year, different Riyadh performance celebrated the graduation of the archetypal cohort of the Saudi National Orchestra and Choir’s Music Education Program aft 2 years of training.

Masterpieces Across Cultures

The circuit carved a span betwixt Saudi euphony and planetary audiences by adapting performances to resonate with each culture. In London, accepted opus “Addayt fi Marqab” was fused with an Adele medley. In New York, Frank Sinatra’s classical “Fly Me to the Moon” was reimagined with Eastern rhythms. In Tokyo, audiences heard anime themes performed successful Arabic.

At Versailles, successful a 90-minute performance, the orchestra blended Saudi accepted and modern euphony with people dances specified arsenic khibaiti, majroor and khutwa—before shifting into French and adjacent operatic singing. The item came with a associated show alongside the Royal Opera Orchestra, conducted by Egyptian maestro Hany Farhat—the archetypal Arab ever to pb the French orchestra. The pursuing day, Saudi conductor Reaab Ahmed took the baton, becoming the archetypal Saudi maestro to pb the nationalist orchestra.

A Mosaic of Over 100 Musicians

What makes this task singular is not conscionable its world instauration but besides the diverseness wrong its ranks. Behind the unified dependable basal of implicit 100 musicians with unsocial stories.

Some near wholly antithetic careers to travel music: Adwaa Shanan erstwhile practiced objective psychology, Ma’an Al-Yamani worked arsenic a income consultant, Maha Abdullah successful aesculapian attraction portion Ibrahim Al-Rashed, a pianist, was a web engineer. For them, joining the choir was a life-changing moment.

Their philharmonic tastes are conscionable arsenic varied. Nawaf Al-Jizani, the youngest member, loves classical music—an power from his father, though helium admits to listening to rap similar astir of his generation. Chorister Fatimah Zahid shone successful Versailles with her rendition of “Les Champs-Élysées” successful French. Hataf and Taghreed Al-Shahrani similar aged Arabic songs, portion Horia leans tow...