Cairo Opera House
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- This article refers to the Cairo Opera House built in 1988. For its predecessor, see Khedivial Opera House
The Cairo Opera House (Arabic: دار الأوبرا المصرية; Dār el-Obra el-Masreyya; literally "Egyptian Opera House"), part of Cairo's National Cultural Center, is the main performing arts venue in the Egyptian capital. Home to most of Egyptian's finest musical groups, it is located on the southern portion of Gezira Island in the Nile River, close to downtown Cairo.
The opera house was dedicated on October 10, 1988. The funds for the complex were a gift from the nation of Japan to Egypt as a result the visit of President Hosni Mubarak to that Asian nation in April 1983. Construction began in May 1985 and lasted three years.
In recognition of the Cairo Opera House, the London Royal Philharmonic Orchestra chose it as a venue for their first performance in the Middle East and Africa in January 2007.[1]
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[edit] Performance spaces
- Main Hall: Seats 1,300 people in its four levels, including orchestra seating, three tiers and a presidential box. Used for operas and orchestra and ballet performances
- Small Hall: Seats up to 500 people on a single floor; used for chamber music and recitals. Can double as a very large reception hall for important events.
- Open-air Theatre: Acoustically designed square that can be used for outdoor performances
[edit] Resident companies
- Cairo Symphony Orchestra
- Cairo Opera Company
- Cairo Opera Ballet Company
- National Arab Music Ensemble
- Abdel Halim Nowera Company
- Cairo Opera Orchestra
- Cairo Modern Dance Theater
- Heritage Ensemble for Arab Music
- Religious Song Ensemble
- Cairo Opera Choir
- Cairo Opera Children's Choir
[edit] External links
- Cairo Opera House website
- Cairo Opera House government website
- Press release from the Egyptian Cultural Center
- Cairo Opera Orchestra official site
