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2021/01/15
Qatar-USA 2021 Year of Culture Opening Concert
Katara Opera House, Doha
The Qatar-USA 2021 Year of Culture was officially launched with a joint concert by the Qatar Philharmonic Orchestra (QPO) and the U.S. Air Forces Central Band (AFCENT Band) for esteemed guests at the Katara Cultural Village Opera House.
Hosted by Qatar Museums and the United States Embassy in the presence of Her Excellency Sheikha Al Mayassa bint Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, the inauguration was a memorable event marking the beginning of a year of specially curated exhibitions, festivals, bilateral exchanges, and events to be held in both nations.
The concert was introduced by His Excellency Salah bin Ghanem Al Ali, Minister of Culture and Sports, Qatar; His Excellency Sheikh Meshal bin Hamad Al-Thani, Ambassador of the State of Qatar to the United States; and Ambassador Greta C. Holtz, Chargé d’Affaires, United States Embassy in Qatar.
The concert was led by Joo Young Oh, the recently appointed Concertmaster of the Qatar Philharmonic Orchestra, who performs internationally as a violin soloist and member of the New York Philharmonic. The programme, which began with the national anthems of both countries, featured acapella performances by Ms. Julie Keough-Mishler and Mr. Soud Jassim, and renditions of classic American and Qatari music compositions, including Rising and Spirit of Thunder (Dana Al Fardan), Take Me Home, Country Road (John Denver), Fanfare for the Common Man (Aaron Copland), My Heart Will Go On from the film Titanic (James Horner), Al – Haneen (Nasser Sahim Nasseb) and more.
