On Sunday 9 April, Al-Nour Wal Amal (Light And Hope) Chamber Orchestra, an ensemble consisting entirely of blind Egyptian female musicians, will give a concert commemorating its late conductor Ali Osman Al Haj. The concert will include works from their standard repertoire of Western classical music as well as compositions by Ali Osman. The concert will take place at Al-Nour Wal Amal Association in Heliopolis. Since it was founded in 1954, Al-Nour Wal Amal has provided support to the blind and visually impaired girls through free education and training to integrate in the larger society. In 1961, Al-Nour Wal Amal Music Institute was founded by the late Samha El-Kholy, former dean of the Cairo Conservatory, and a few years later the Al-Nour Wal Amal Chamber Orchestra was born, first trained and conducted by Ahmed Abul Eid. Ali Osman worked with the musicians since 2000 and took over leadership after the death of Abul Eid in 2004. Acting as a mentor, conductor and father figure, Osman shaped the musicians, carved their understanding of the material, and prepared them for many concerts inside Egypt and internationally, where the ensemble was always warmly applauded by audiences. Born and raised in Sudan, Ali Osman came to Egypt as a young musician and enrolled at the Cairo Conservatory. Ever since he made Egypt his home. He was considered among the third generation of Egyptian composers, listed beside names such as Baligh Hamdi (1932-1993), Rageh Daoud (born 1954) and Omar Khayrat (born 1949), among others. Osman died suddenly 16 February, on a day of one of Al-Nour Wal Amal's concerts in Egypt. His role has now been taken up by Mohamed Saad Basha, who was previously responsible for the younger ensemble, known as Junior Al-Nour Wal Amal Orchestra.
Programme: Sunday, 9 April, 6pm Al-Nour Wal Amal Association, 16 Abou Bakr El-Seddik Street Heliopolis, Cairo
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