Oud master Joseph Tawadros and Jordanian soprano Zeina Barhoum to perform free online gigs for Dubai Opera

The musical stars will take part in a series of new shows this week, alongside Jordan’s Macadi Nahhas and Dubai resident Kamal Musallam

Jordanian soprano Zeina Barhoum will perform a virtual concert for Dubai Opera this week. Courtesy Amman Opera Festival
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While we might not be able to visit Dubai Opera in person any time soon, that doesn't mean we can't enjoy some of the region's finest music from home.

The Downtown Dubai venue has streamed live gigs by Palestinian crooner Omar Kamal and Lebanese pianist Guy Manoukian on its social media channels in recent weeks.

And now, Dubai Opera has announced it will virtually host four new concerts, for viewers staying home amid the coronavirus pandemic.

Each performance will be live-streamed on the venue's Instagram account, and here's who'll be taking to the digital stage ...

Joseph Tawadros: Tuesday, April 21

The Egyptian-Australian oud virtuoso, whose eclectic style mixes the traditional with classical music and jazz, will perform from 7pm to 7.45pm. With more than a dozen albums in his back catalogue, he will have a lot of material to choose from. However, we should expect some selections from 2012's Concerto of the Greater Sea, which won the Australian Aria Music Awards for Best World Music Album.

Kamal Musallam: Wednesday, April 22

Our very own guitar hero will take to the virtual stage the following night. Performing from his Dubai residence between 8pm and 8.45pm, Musallam's gigs are typically as evocative as they are educational. Watch the Jordanian as his instrumentals weave a pattern linking traditional folk music from the Arab world to guitar styles from North Africa, Europe and Asia.

Macadi Nahhas: Thursday, April 23

This marks the first of two back-to-back performances by acclaimed Jordanian singers. First up is Nahhas, whose work delves heavily into the Arabic folk music heritage. In 2003, she released the wonderful album Kan Ya Ma Kan, which explored old Iraqi folk song traditions. Her performance runs from 7pm to 7.45pm.

Zeina Barhoum: Thursday, April 23

Wrapping up this week's performances is Barhoum, the soprano who has been spearheading the classical music scene in her native Jordan. In 2017, she co-organised and starred in the landmark production of Verdi's La Traviata as part of the inaugural edition of the Amman Opera Festival. She performs from 9pm to 9.45pm.

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