Event Details

Founded in 2009 by Lamees Audeh and Wafa Al Zaghal, and incorporated in 2015, the Canadian Arabic Orchestra (CAO) explores the fusion of Western and Eastern musical traditions. Central to the organization’s mandate is a mission to dispel negative misconceptions of Arabic cultures by presenting musical performances that celebrate “the international language of music and song”. The organization has formed a partnership with the Festival du Monde Arabe in Montreal who have been producing festivals in Quebec for 19 years. The partnership allows the organizations to jointly select artists and share costs by synchronizing performances between Ontario and Quebec. The Orchestra’s seasonal programs consist of 14 to 16 annual concerts.

This funding is for the marketing of the “Festival of Arabic Music and Arts (FAMA) and Concert Season Expansion”, two expanded programming components taking place in various locations around the GTA from October 25, 2019 to May 3, 2020. Between the two components the organization will present up to 20 full scale events representing all regions of the Arab world.

(1) 2019 FAMA programming will include: (i) Jihad Akl and the CAO at the George Weston Recital Hall - TCA (Toronto) on October 25; (ii) 47 Soul at 918 Bathurst Culture, Arts, Media & Education Centre (Toronto) on October 26; (iii) Cairo Steps at The Burlington Performing Arts Centre on October 27; (iv) Hamzeh Namira at the Jane Mallett Theatre (Toronto) on October 31; (v) Lubana Al Qontar at the Aga Khan Museum Auditorium (Toronto) on November 1; (vi) Re-Mi Bandalli and the CAO’s Junior Ensemble at the Maja Prentice Theatre (Mississauga) on November 2; (vii) Khalil Gobran’s Broken Wings Musical at the Jane Mallett Theatre (Toronto) on November 3; (viii) CAO Production (tbd) Greenwin Theatre (Toronto) on November 7; (ix) Oumaima Khalil at the Lyric Theatre (Toronto) on November 8; (x) Omar Kamal at the Jane Mallett Theatre (Toronto) on November 9; and Naseer Shamma and the Mississauga Symphony Orchestra at Hammerson Hall – Living Arts Centre (Mississauga) on November 10. Additionally, the CAO seeks to partner up with private sector sponsors to host several free promotional events prior to the start of the FAMA. Plans to include poetry readings and a photography exhibition are underway, but details were unavailable at the time of submission.

(2) The 2020 CAO Concert Season programming and schedule has not been confirmed but will run from late March to late April 2020. Tentative venues include: (i) Pentastar – Capitol Theatre in Windsor March 28); (ii) Maureen Forrester Recital Hall in Waterloo, March 29); (iii) The Isabel Bader Centre for the Performing Arts Concert Hall in Kingston (April 4); Algonquin Commons Theatre in Nepean (April 5) The Recital Hall – First Ontario Performing Arts Centre in St. Catharines (April 18); and the Jane Mallett Theatre - St Lawrence Centre for the Arts in Toronto (April 19).