Taormina Festival honors Egyptian Soprano Iman Moustafa

Cairo – 20 August 2017: Taormina International festival management has chosen the veteran Egyptian Soprano Iman Moustafa dubbed ‘’Egyptian Aida’’ to award her the Lifetime Achievement Award for her outstanding work throughout her career.

The festival will honour Moustafa in its current edition on Taormina ancient theatre that is considered the second biggest Roman style theatre in Italy. The festival includes the display of the one and only ‘Opera Aida’ show for two days from August 19 till August 21, in addition to ‘Gala stars’ concert on August 20.

Moustafa will perform ‘Ritorna Vincitor’ song, accompanied by international sopranos in the Gala stars concert. Mostafa expressed her great happiness with this honor especially as she is the first Egyptian Opera singer to receive such a big honour, adding that Cairo Opera House Sopranos are able to raise Egypt’s name high in international forums.

Moustafa who is currently the head of the singing department in Cairo Conservatoire graduated from it in 1986. She received her Ph.D. from Paris, where she had the opportunity, due to her talent, to perform with the famous soprano Caroline Dumas.

Moustafa was awarded her first prize in oriental and opera singing at the Cultural Supreme Council Competition in 1981, and in the same year represented Egypt in an international competition in Toulouse, France.

In 1986, she participated in the 5th Madame Butterfly International Competition held in Japan. She also performed several solo recitals in Alexandria and Cairo, at the Egyptian Academy of Arts in Rome, and in other concert halls throughout Italy. She sang the part of the countess in Le Nozze di Figaro in Paris.

Mostafa won the first prize at the Maria Callas Competition in Rome in 1991 and was awarded the State Prize in Arts in 2002. Her repertoire includes roles in many operas such as: Thais, Les Pecheurs de Perles, La Boheme, La Traviata, Tosca, Aida 2002 near the site of the Pyramids, Madame Butterfly, Cavalleria Rusticana and Don Giovanni.