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Cairo Opera House -
The Arabic Music Ensemble
& The Religious Song Ensemble

The Ministry of Culture founded the Arabic Music Ensemble in 1967 with objective of reviving and preserving, traditional Arabic Song and Music.

The Ensemble presents this heritage in a new academic form while safeguarding the nature, value and originality of its rhythm.

Maestro AbdelHalim Noweria was commissioned by the Ministry of Culture to found the Ensemble. The Ensemble's conductor, a role he held till his death in 1985. Composed of 55 academically trained singers and 40 musicians, the Arabic Music Ensemble presents traditional forms of Arabic singing such as El Mowashah, El Kasid, El Door, El Taktouka as well as musical forms such as El Bashraf, El Samaii, El Longa, El Tahmila, among others.
 

The Ensemble has also given contemporary composers the opportunity to present their works among which, Abdel Halim Noweia, Abdel Fatah Sabry, George Michel, Methat Assem, Yousry Katr, Gomah Mohammed Aly and Mostafa Abdel Aziz.
 

In 1973, a smaller Ensemble was formed to present religious songs by such famous composers such as Mousy El Hariry, Sayed Mousa and El Manzalawy. The Religious Song Ensemble is composed of 20 singers and 25 musicians, first Coashed by the late Abdel Moneim Hariry. The Ensemble has performed in numerous Arab countries, Algeria, Lybia, Syria, Kuwait, Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco and Tunis where it was awarded a medal of merit for its efforts in the revival and preservation of heritage.

The Ensemble has also performed in Turkey and Spain while its quintet has been on tour to Italy, Austria, Sweden, Norway and Denmark.