The Orchestra

The Cairo Opera Orchestra is one of the companies operating under the umbrella of the Cairo Opera House. The orchestra was formed 1994 and its repertoire includes a vast number of celebrated classic ballets and famous operas or operettas performed in collaboration with the Cairo Opera Ballet Company or the Cairo Opera Company.

Sherif Mohie El-Din was appointed conductor of the orchestra in 1995. Later, the orchestra was headed by various Egyptian and international conductors. The former President, Mr. Mohamed Hosni Mubarak, President of the Republic, inaugurated the new Egyptian Opera House on October 10, 1988, after an absence of seventeen years, since the old opera house was burned down in 1971. The new Egyptian Opera House "The National Cultural Center" is one of the symbols of Egyptian-Japanese cooperation Which expresses the depth of the bonds of friendship between the Egyptian and Japanese peoples.

The Japanese International Cooperation Agency ( JICA ) coordinated with the Egyptian Ministry of Culture, and it was agreed on a design that was consistent with the buildings surrounding the house, and the design was characterized by the modern Islamic architectural character.

The construction area includes 22,772 square meters, while the building itself is located on an area of ​​13,855 square meters, with a maximum height of 42 meters. The uniqueness of this site, which is located in the southern part of the island, and the abundance of Nile water in this area and the abundance of trees in the garden surrounding this place, allowed it to be a natural content Thumbs up for the new opera house.

In March 1985, the design took place, which took a year and a half, and the President of the Republic laid the foundation stone. Then, the interconnected effort of Egyptian hands in cooperation with Kajima Company was credited with completing this great work on March 31, 1988, that is, 34 months after the start of work, to become the latest cultural landmark in Cairo.

In October 1988, this house was inaugurated in the presence of President Hosni Mubarak and His Imperial Highness Prince Tomohito of Mikasa, who is the younger brother of His Majesty the Emperor of Japan. Japan also participated for the first time in Egypt, the Arab world and Africa in opening this cultural edifice with a kabuki show that includes fifty members in addition to artists of the highest rank in the fields of music, opera and ballet.

The Conductor

NADER ABBASSI - Conductor and Composer
In his conducting career Nader Abbassi benefits from his wide professional experience as composer, singer and bassoonist.
He made his acclaimed conducting-debut in 2002 with Verdi's "Aida" at the pyramids in Giza.
His extensive work as an opera-conductor includes:
“Maria Golovine”, “Hamlet”, “Un Ballo in Maschera”, “La Belle Helene”, “Aida”, “Carmen” (Marseille Opera House), “Dialogues des Carmelites” (Opéra de Bordeaux), “Aida” (Glimmerglass Festival New York, Thessaloniki Greece, Beijing China), “La Traviata”, “La Bohème” (Ireland & Russia), “Madama Butterfly”, “Barbe Bleue” (Marseille) “Kiss Me Kate” (Geneva). In the course of his career Nader Abbassi has held the positions of artistic director and principal conductor of the following orchestras:

Qatar Philharmonic Orchestra, Doha, Katar (2009-2012)
Cairo Opera Opera Orchestra, Cairo, Egypt (2002-2011)

Under his leadership these orchestras were invited to perform in many tours and festivals in Germany, Austria, France, Netherlands, Greece, South-Korea, China, Oman, Mexico, Argentina. Since 2004 Nader is the musical director of the
Orchestre pour la Paix Paris, France.
This orchestra was founded by the Argentinian pianist Miguel Estrella and unites young professional musicians from all over the world to promote a peaceful dialogue between different cultures and religions.
With the Orchestre pour la Paix Nader Abbassi leads performances at the UNESCO World Heritage Site in Petra (Jordan), the International Court of Justice at De Hague, Théâtre de Châtelet, the Sénat de France.