Sixth Cairo Contemporary Music Days starts this month

CAIRO – 2 April 2018: The European-Egyptian Contemporary Music Society will be hosting from Apr. 14-29 the 6th Cairo Contemporary Music Days (CCMD) event that highlights German musicians.

The event’s official statement states that this year there will be an attempt to promote interest within Germany’s contemporary music scene, with a particular eye for Berlin’s local musicians.

In outlining the development of the unique artistic talent operating from within Berlin, this year’s CCMD will be holding a unique new project titled “My Voice, Your Voice, Our Voice”, which will see the works of some of the most influential German composers performing by the EECMS’s most active German/European ensembles; not only that, but the works of various outstanding Egyptian and Middle-Eastern composers will also be featured, introduced to a wider European audience. This year, it’s all about the cross-cultural relationship between Germany/Egypt and the Arab world in general, fostering in a collaboration that draws all eyes and ears to Berlin.

The program for this year’s event commences at 8 p.m. Apr. 14 and features artist Luis Tabuenca at ROOM Art Space & Cafe, with an interactive session curated by Ayman Mabrouk. Next up on 16 Apr., we’re treated with another performance by Tabuenca at the Cairo Art Creative Centre on 8 p.m., titled the “SOLOS Percussion Recital”.

Then there’s the “Ensemble Mosaik” progam, first running on 21 Apr. at the Goethe Institute, which aims at showcasing the processes that German performers go through to carry out their productions. Alongside performances by artists along with works from Bushra El Turk, Sarah Nemtsov and Kaj Duncan, two new artists will feature their world premiere; Gregory d’Hoop and Feliz Anne Macahis.

The second day of “Ensemble Mosaik” will commence on Monday, 8 p.m. 23 Apr., titled “Is it Global?” at the Mosaik Manasterly Palace. It will feature works by established artists Amr Okba, Oliver Schneller, Bushra El Turk, Ahmed Essyad, Ehsan Khatibi, Zad Moultaka and the world premiere of Samir Amarouch.

Carried on from last year, the CCMD will proudly continue its spotlight on women composers. This year features Bushra El Turk and Sarah Nemtsov, while “My Voice, Your Voice, Our Voice” features a hefty amount of women composers: Kamilya Jubran, Jacqueline George, Ola Saad and Brigitta Muntendorf will be contributing.


Another successful event now being continued on this year is “Music Talks”, previously given by Brigitta Muntendorf. This year’s version, titled “Music Talks on a Gallery Tour” is hosted in conjunction with the CCMD and will be held at the following galleries: El Mashrabia Gallery, Art Talks Gallery and Aisha Fahmy Centre of Art. Here, audiences will interact with various musicians, who will discuss their craft and other topics in free talks, available to everyone.



[Second promo for the Ensemble Mosaik provided in a statement by the European - Egyptian Contemporary Music Society, 19 Mar. – Email/EECMS]

These talks will feature Oliver Schneller, Hannes Seidl, curator/musician Kamilya Jubran and the Global Music Director of the British Council Cathy Graham. The German University in Cairo and the Cairo Conservatoire are also hosting music talks, specifically tailored towards students and professionals alike.

Founded back in 2010 by Sherif El Razzaz, the first few editions of the CCMD came under rather difficult circumstances, especially following the 2011 Revolution and the tumultuous events that followed.

The idea first started after years of campaigning to get the Alexandrina Contemporary Music Biennale in 2009 off the ground finally paid off, and it became apparent that a new infrastructure was needed to help strengthen Egypt’s contemporary music scene and insure long-term productivity, according to the EECMS’s official website.

A non-profit organization, the EECMS was formed in Germany as a means of bridging together the worlds of Western and Middle-Eastern music alike; in this festival, the main language is music, bringing together people of all tongues who share a love and interest in music. This initiative aims at promoting Egypt’s contemporary music scene and fostering dialog between cultural institutions, both locally and internationally.

Among some of its many activities include hosting a wide range of performance opportunities for various artists, organize workshops, scholarships and performance seminars, commission new works primarily in Egypt and the Arab region, support towards educational projects and much more.