Fatma Said, making her United States recital debut with this performance, began her singing career at age fourteen in Cairo. She has since become a frequent principal at Teatro alla Scala and other opera houses and festivals across Europe. She maintains a busy schedule as a soloist with orchestras as well, appearing locally in the Boston Symphony Orchestra’s 2019 performances and recording of Puccini’s one-act opera, Suor Angelica. Of her latest album El Nour, which means ‘the light,’” in Arabic, Fatma says, “I feel I am shedding light on how music that has been interpreted many times in the past can be presented in different ways—in other words, it can be perceived in a different light. The idea is to connect three cultures—Arabic, French, and Spanish—and to show how much, despite cultural, geographical, and historical differences, they have in common when it comes to music.”
Said’s partnership with Spanish guitarist Rafael Aguirre, who makes his Boston recital debut, brings a cross-cultural flair to this recital. “I feel so fortunate to work with all kinds of musicians from across the world, and to perform music by so many composers from all over world,” she has said. “The thing that connects us is music. It is a commonality, and I love that in listening to live music, we—in a way—create a moment of peace together.”
The program features Spanish, Egyptian, Brazilian, and Lebanese songs, including works by Manuel de Falla, Daoud Hosni, Heitor Villa-Lobos, contemporary Egyptian composer Sherif Mohie El Din, and many more.
