Arab Music Institute 22 Ramsis St, Tel 02 2574 3373 Thurs 13, 8pm: Al-Enshad Al-Dini troupe for religious chanting. Fri 14, 8pm: Al-Fan Al-Sadeq band features singer Ismail Sadeq. Sat 15, 8pm: A singing recital features Mosaad Nour and Nadia Al-Araby.
All Saints' Cathedral 5 Michel Lutfallah St, Zamalek, Tel 02 2736 3679 Main Theatre Sat 22, 7-10pm (students free entry): The Soft Power Production Company presents its annual Christmas concert featuring sopranos Dora Anwar, Dalia and Lily Farid Fadel, Maged Shafiq, Moudi Habib with guest of honour world class pianist Yasser Mokhtar playing your favourite Christmas carols and songs.
Balassi Institute Hungarian Cultural Counsellor Office 13 Gawad Hosni St, Abdin, Downtown, second floor, Tel 02 2392 6692 Thurs 13, 6.30pm (Free entry): Christmas cafe and a screening of Tchaikovsky's The Nutcracker (7pm) as part of Müpa HD, a selection of Müpa Budapest Concert Screenings. The Müpa experience is already well-known by many, and now it is available for an even wider audience.
Beit Al-Seheimi Al-Muaaz St, Al-Darb Al-Asfar Alley, Al-Gamalya District, Tel 02 2591 3391 Every Sunday, 7.30pm: The Nile Troupe for Folk Instruments, conducted by Abdel-Rahman Al-Shafaai, performs dances and songs from Upper Egypt on mizmar, tabla and other traditional musical instruments. Every Friday, 8.30pm: “Al-Aragouz wa Khayal Al-Zel” (The Shadow Puppet), a free public performance by clowns in Al-Muaaz Street, presented by Wamda and directed by Nabil Bahgat.
Cairo Opera House Gezira Exhibition Grounds, Tel 02 2737 0602/2736 0361, box office 02 2739 0132/0144 Main Hall Sat 15, 8pm: The Cairo Symphony Orchestra, conducted by maestro Ahmed El-Saedi and featuring pianist Antonio di Cristofano performs Beethoven's Wellington's Victory, Op. 91, Concerto for Piano and Orchestra No. 5, and Symphony No. 3 in E flat major “Eroica”, Op. 55. Sun 16, 8pm: Cairo Steps (Egypt/Germany) band accompanied by the Cairo Opera Ballet Company will feature its founder musician and oud player Bassem Darwish in a programme of jazz and east-meets-west compositions. Mon 17 & Tues 18, 8pm: Pianist Omar Khairat and his orchestra. Wed 19, 8pm: Horus Ensemble (Egypt/Germany). Thurs 20, 8pm: The Abdel-Halim Noweira Arab Music Ensemble. Small Hall Thurs 13, 8pm: Oriental Jazz by Yehia Khalil and his band. Fri 14, 8pm: Chamber music concert features Yasser Al-Serafi. Sat 15, 8pm: Giuseppe Verdi's opera La Traviata Live in HD from the Metropolitan Opera in New York. Sun 16, 8pm: Egyptian mezzo soprano Gala Al-Hadidi will give her annual Christmas concert. The world-renowned soprano will walk the audience through some of the seasonal classics. Tues 18, 8pm: Boughdady band. Thurs 20, 8pm: Spanish flamenco performance by Mona Burkhart.
Darb 1718 Kasr El Shamaa St, Al Fakhareen, Old Cairo, near Mar Girgis Metro Station, Tel 02 2741 3053/ 0109 3766188 The 2nd Edition of Something Else-Off Biennale Cairo (closing 15 December).
Diwan Bookstore 159, 26th of July St, Zamalek, Tel 02 2736 2582/98 Sun 16, 6pm: A live performance with singer and guitarist Farida Al-Gueretly. Al-Ghouri Caravansary Mohamed Abdou St, off Al-Muaaz St and Al-Azhar St, Tel 02 2514 7475 Al-Tanoura whirling dervishes perform to live Sufi music (Performances every Sat, Mon, and Wed, 7.30pm).
Al-Gumhouriya Theatre 12 Al-Gumhouriya St, Abdin, Tel 02 2390 7707 Thurs 13, 8pm: Konoz band features singer Mahmoud Darwish. Sat 15, 8pm: Al-Mawlawiya Al-Masriya troupe, led by Sufi chanter Amer Al-Toni performs Sufi dances and chants. Sun 16, 8pm: Umm Al-Nour Orchestra. Thurs 20, Fri 21, Sat 22, 8pm: Forsan Al-Sharq for Heritage (The Knights of the Orient) Dance Company presents Al-Hilali dance show.
Goethe Institute 17 Hussein Wassif St, Mesaha Sq, Dokki, Tel 02 2575 9877 Thurs 13, 7pm: Sirriyya group will perform a multimedia performance with experimental music that combines prepared field recordings, cello, oud, violin and flute. The musical-acoustic and the choreographic design interact visually with each other. The concept of the performance is based on a personal examination of the composer Jacqueline George with the Coptic intellectual history and the concept of death and reflects her own understanding of time, love and being. It features among others Kholoud Adel (Sound Performance, vocals), Florence Moutin (Performance), Fayrouz Kaddal (Flute), Daniel Merrill (Violin), Hassan Hosny (Cello). A concert features Gawy band presenting an alternative art in which poetry and song are interwoven in a new way and traditional songs rehashed.
Makan Saad Zaghloul St, Al-Mounira, Cairo, Tel 02 2792 0878 Every Monday: (fixed event) Zikr and Sufi night. Every Tuesday, 8pm (doors open at 7.30pm and reservations is canceled at 7.30pm): Mawawil and Gamalat Shiha present traditional music of the Nile Delta; Nubian Fadeka music and songs with Aragid, featuring Saleh Abbass and Farah Al-Masri; traditional Sudanese music and songs performed by Queen of Henna Settouna; Al-Jaafra music played by musicians from Aswan; Nass Makan (People from Makan) and Sanet perform traditional music from Eritrea. Every Wednesday, 8pm: Zar music and songs by Mazaher, featuring Umm Sameh, Umm Hassan and Nour Al-Sab.
El-Sawy Culturewheel End of 26th of July St, under the 15th of May Bridge, Zamalek, Tel 02 2736 8881/6178/2737 4448 River Hall Thurs 13, 6.30pm: Religious chanting by Waslet Samaa band. Sat 15, 8pm: Fabrica band presents a Christmas concert. Wisdom Hall Thurs 13, 7pm: Rock music by Qarar Ezala band. Fri 14, 6.30pm: Arab rock by Malaaz band. Tues 17, 6pm: Al-Zahrawan band performs religious songs. Thurs 20, 8pm: A singing recital by Yehia Nadeem.
Zigzag 6 Kasr El Nil St, 0128 864 7618/ 0109 955 2857 Sat 15, 8pm: Marking the 30th anniversary of Pro Helvetia (Swiss Cultural Centre) Cairo, a music programme was launched in July to celebrate its Jubilee. Pro Helvetia end of year concert features two special artists coming specially to set Cairo on fire, Swiss DJ Phil Battiekh and Jordanian rapper Synaptik.
ALEXANDRIA
Alexandria Opera House (Sayed Darwish Theatre) 22 Fouad St, Mahatat Al-Raml, Al-Horiyya Road, Alexandria, Tel 03/486 5106 Thurs 13, 8pm: Cairo Steps band (Egypt-Germany) features musician and oud player Bassem Darwish in a programme of jazz and east-meets-west compositions. Fri 14, 8pm: Oriental Jazz by Yehia Khalil and his band. Sun 16, 8pm: The Cairo Opera Company and the Cairo Opera Orchestra present a Christmas concert. Mon 17, 8pm: Alexandria Opera Children Choir. Wed 19, 8pm: Alexandria Opera Strings Orchestra.
Bibliotheca Alexandrina Chatby, Alexandria 21526, Tel (03) 4839999 Main Hall Tues 18, 7pm: Post Catastrophe - (Work in progress) dance performance, choreography and staging Mohamed Fouad (Centre Rézodanse - Egypt). Sat 15, 7pm: Feek Elhaya Choir Small Hall Sat 15, 7pm: Giuseppe Verdi's opera La Traviata Live in HD from the Metropolitan Opera in New York.
