The Qatar Philharmonic Orchestra (QPO) started its first South America tour with an opening concert in Doha, in which her excellence Scheicha al Mayassa bint Hamad bin Khalifa al Thani, followed by a historical premiere in the Teatro Colón in Buenos Aires on September 17. The performance was a highlight of this year’s “Culture Years” initiative, a global initiative to promote cultural curiosity and to strengthen relationships through international exchange in the areas of social development, cultural heritage, creative industries and innovation.
Under the direction of Maestro Enrique Arturo Diemecke, the program combined the rhythmic passion of Latin America with the deep sound of the Arab world. In the Teatro Colón, which is often one of the best opera houses in the world and is famous for its acoustics, the QPO brought the enthusiastic Argentine audience his unique merger of Western symphonic traditions and the musical heritage of the Arab world.
Maestro Diemecke led over 70 QPO musicians in a performance, which was described as “a decisive expression” of the orchestra’s mission in the field of cultural exchange and “a powerful symbol for the universality of music”. This was particularly moving, as the Diemecke was an artistic general director of the Teatro Colón from 2017 to 2022 and thus returned to this house for the first time.
Víctor Hugo Villena, Argentina’s celebrated bandoneon virtuoso, provided a rousing interpretation of Piazzollas Aconcagua And gave the piece emotional depth and a deep feeling of national identity.
The works of Dana Al Fardan and Dr. Nasser Sahim, who also acts as the deputy executive director of the QPO, showed Katar’s commitment to the support of local composers and presented orchestral textures that are penetrated by cinematic size and are rooted in the traditional Maqam scales of the Golf.
Kurt Meister, the executive director of QPO, emphasized the importance of the performance: “With Maestro Diemecke and Virtuoso Villena in such a iconic hall as the Teatro Colón, sharing the stage is a great honor and a strong symbol of the universality of music.”
Gabriela Ricardes, Minister of Culture of the City of Buenos Aires, joined these words, praised the cooperation as a “powerful expression of cultural diplomacy” and praised Qatar as an outstanding partner in this year’s cultural season.
The QPO was founded in 2007 by its Highness Sheikha Moza Bint Nasser and combines musicians from over 28 countries, many of which come from celebrated ensembles such as the New York Philharmonic and the BBC Symphony Orchestra.
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