Prestige issue 259, February 2015
1- Toufic Maatouk, the dynamic Lebanese conductor, will this year make his fifth appearance at the Al Bustan Festival, with the Lebanese Philharmonic Orchestra.
2-Valentina Farcas, soprano, will honor the public with her voice, with Beethoven’s Mass in C major, at St. Joseph church of the Jesuit fathers in Beirut.
3-David Shipley, a beautiful bass voice in “Heavenly Inspiration” at the opening of the Festival. David is an associate member of the “Classical Opera Company.”
Placed under the theme of Inspiration, the 22nd edition of Al Bustan Festival, which will take place from February 17 to March 22 at Emile Bustani Auditorium in Beit Mery, looks cool, classic, with an international scope. A host of stars will be delighting audiences end music lovers. Groups and choirs from around the world will present performances inspired by universal masterpieces bequeathed to humanity by virtuoso artists. Superstars and great music will host the evening of the opening, to be followed by many others and a lot of surprises dedicated to the immortal artists Edith Piaf and Frank Sinatra, on the occasion of their 100th anniversary, and the divine Maria Callas. Lebanon will certainly have its place of honor in this grand festival.
Program of the Festival Al Bustan
February:
Tuesday 17 and Thursday 19: Opening Night. Super Stars and Super Music. The most beautiful concerts for piano, violin and cello by Beethoven, and the tunes of Sarasate and Saint Saëns played for the first time on the saxophone.
Saturday 21: Inspiration and Creativity with Oliver Poole pianist who will present a selection of Schuman, Rachmaninov, Stravinsky and his own improvisations.
Monday 23: The Festival Lecture, with Ambassador Miguel Angel Estrella, at the Tanit Gallery in Mar Mikhael. Free admission.
Tuesday 24: sonatas composed for piano and cello with two Russian artists Alexander and Veronika Buzlov Ilinskaya. .
Thursday 26 and Saturday 28: opera Norma by Vincenzo Bellini, a concert by soprano, mezzo, tenor and international bass, with the participation of the choir of the Antonine University led by Father Khalil Rahme assisted by Toufic Maatouk, and “State Youth Orchestra of Armenia” (SYOA), headed by Gianluca Marciano.
March:
Sunday 1: An Oriental Night with artist Ziad Ahmadyeh.
Wednesday 4: Khatia is Back! A Russian inspired concert with the orchestra SYOA, led by Gianluca Marciano and Khatia Buniatishvili on the piano.
Friday 6: “One piano, two girls, four hands”, Mozart, Schubert, Czerby, Brahms and Liszt, with Khatia Buniatishvili and her sister Gvantsa.
Saturday 7: Passion and Genius with the German-Japanese violinist Arabella combining with passion and genious her interpretations of Mozart and Beethoven.
Sunday 8: Music of Two Cultures. Baroque music with tenor Cesar Karazo and the Austrian Ensemble Accentus Austria, Andalusian and European influences.
Tuesday 10: “The Briliance of the two Sergeis” with Sergej Krylov and conductor Sergei Smbatyan.
Thursday 12: The Arthur Satian Acoustic Ensemble. Evening of jazz with three musicians at the Crystal Garden.
Friday the 13th: “Our Beloved Choir, Remembering the Blue Eyed Singer”. Repertoire of Frank Sinatra on the occasion of his centenary.
Saturday 14: A Sensuous Voice, “The Marly Marques Quintet”. Jazz with a touch of bossa nova, swing and pop.
Sunday 15: La Môme celebrates 100 years. A tribute to Edith Piaf, with accordionist Richard Galliano and Sylvain Luc on bass guitar.
Tuesday 17: Heavenly Inspiration, Beethoven’s Mass in this major. Wednesday 18: “Alleluia,” Greek Orthodox Choir of Mount Lebanon, led by Roy Sahakyan, at St. Elias Greek Orthodox Church in Rabieh.
Thursday 19: Mario Frangoulis sings Theodorakis.
Friday 20: Late Night in a Taverna. Traditional Greek bouzouki in Ain el Khassfeh at Beit Mery.
Saturday 21: Music inspired by Ancient Greece. Unique concert inspired by Greek mythology with Paolo Restani on the piano.
Sunday 22: Closing Festival with a tribute to La Divina Maria Callas. A performance of four artists charged with emotions.
