All-women Firdaus Orchestra to perform at Expo 2020

The one-of-a-kind, all-women Firdaus Orchestra will perform today (February 6) at Expo 2020 Dubai’s Jubilee Park, complemented by the star power of multiple Grammy-nominated sitar player, producer, film composer and activist Anoushka Shankar.

Mentored by decorated musical maestro A R Rahman, the ground-breaking orchestra is made up of 23 nationalities from across the Arab world, with an age range from 16 to 51. Rahman has won two Academy Awards, two Grammys and a Golden Globe for his compositions.

A R Rahman said: “Representation in music is powerful. It’s incredible to welcome a musical powerhouse such as Anoushka Shankar to perform with the inspiring Firdaus Orchestra. To fill a void left behind by the master world-music icon Pandit Ravi Shankar is not easy, but his daughter Anoushka has gracefully stepped into the void with her own powerful voice, talent and courage to do brilliant collaborations with masterful elegance.

“Both Firdaus Orchestra and Anoushka symbolise a shift in the arts towards a more inclusive and beautiful world. It brings me immense joy to stage this show at the Expo 2020 Dubai.”

The orchestra’s upcoming show will feature a wide and varied repertoire, from Shankar's virtuoso sitar performance to music from Rossini's classic opera The Barber of Seville, as well as The Khorumi, a Georgian war dance.

The orchestra’s conductor Yasmina Sabbah said she was “honoured” to be performing with Shankar: "I am so excited to resume our season with a very special concert. The eclectic repertoire, ranging from great symphonic works, to contemporary and oriental compositions, represents the diversity this orchestra has to offer."

Multitalented British-Indian-American Shankar, who has picked up seven Grammy nominations during her career and is the youngest and first woman to receive a British House of Commons Shield, said she cannot wait to experience first-hand the “iconic” Expo 2020 Dubai.

Anoushka Shankhar said: “From childhood, music has taught everything from memorisation and number patterns to spirituality and the art of cultivating a craft. It has also opened my heart to empathy and connection with other humans. Empathy is at the heart of any generous act and central to any activism.

“Collaboration helps me to reach heights I can’t reach on my own. When I bring my strengths to the table and they marry with someone else’s, it feels like an alchemy and magic can happen. It’s an opportunity to learn from another person, culture and tradition and to move my own work forward.”

“Issues as big as gender-equality have no quick-fix solution, but I’m not saying they’re insurmountable. Education plays an important part in raising humans who believe in equality across all differences. In music, this comes down to opportunity and representation,” Shankar added.

The Firdaus Orchestra will perform from 1815 GST on February 6 at Jubilee Park, and entry is free for all Expo 2020 ticket holders.