QOUTAYBA NEAIMI

Three fascinating musicians and composers are at the center of the fourth annual Arabic Music Days. Once again curated by Iraqi oud virtuoso Naseer Shamma, the program combines music with poetry, visual art, and film from the Arab world, continuing the tradition from previous years. The program comes to a close with a concert of recent works by Qoutayba Neaimi. The Iraqi composer, who studied in Baghdad and Mons (Belgium) and is currently working on the first-ever Arabic-French opera, forges a powerful contemporary aesthetic that transcends cultural borders by blending musical traditions of the Middle East and Europe. At the core of the program is the cantata Salam, a vibrant musical homage to the common ground shared by founding civilizations of the Middle East and Europe.