“For the first time in the history of Arabic music, the Edward Said National Conservatory of Music is launching a new model for an orchestra, or a large ensemble, based on, and amplified from the traditional model of the Arabic music Takht,” Suhail Khoury.

The Arabic Orchestra in Palestine aims to present a new musical standard for the Arab world in particular and the rest of the world in general, to restore the glory of traditional Arabic instruments, especially in the Arabic instrumental music genre, to elevate its appreciation and stimulate interest in it.

 The orchestra aims to shed the light on Palestinian music and contemporary Palestinian composers. It also seeks to contribute to the development of the Arabic music department at the conservatory. The orchestra currently consists of seventy musicians, including teachers and students from the conservatory and musicians from other institutions and cities around Palestine.

The Arabic Orchestra’s concept is an ongoing experiment based on the physics of sound, as the conservatory seeks to develop it still to reach its optimum. The orchestra performs in accordance with the principle of natural acoustical balance between groups of different instruments without amplification nor technical interference. This experiment also expands our knowledge in the voicing of these instruments, their timbre and harmony, in order to provide the necessary information for composers to write specifically for this orchestra.

The first tour of the Arabic Orchestra started on the 25th of November, with its debut performance at Naseeb Shaheen Theater - Birzeit University, and the second performance on November 27th at the Conference Palace in Bethlehem. The tour will continue in Spring 2022.