Last month, Zarqa Al Yamama – the first ever grand opera produced by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia – made its debut in the newly renovated main hall of the King Fahad Cultural Centre, with The Communication Group plc supporting with all international media relations around the premiere, including hosting media in Riyadh.
Spearheaded by the Saudi Theater and Performing Arts Commission, this ground-breaking international production brought to life one of the most iconic tales from pre-Islamic Arabia, telling the story of Zarqa and her struggle to warn the Jadis tribe about the approach of a hostile army that threatens to annihilate her people. The production brought together international and local talent, with world-acclaimed mezzo soprano Dame Sarah Connolly playing the titular role of Zarqa, leading a principle cast of leading international artists including Amelia Wawrzon, Serena Farnocchia, Paride Cataldo, Aleksandar Stefanoski and George von Bergen, alongside Saudi-born singers including tenor Khayran Al Zahrani, and sopranos Sawsan Albahiti and Reemaz Oqbi, representing a major step in the development of the Kingdom’s national music programme.
Representing a milestone moment for world culture, Zarqa Al Yamama is the first grand opera to feature both international and local artists performing a libretto exclusively in Arabic, written by the award-winning Saudi poet Saleh Zamanan and adapted into an original musical score by Australian composer Lee Bradshaw, under the creative direction of Ivan Vukcevic of Arabian Opera. Led by conductor Pablo González, the two-act opera was performed by the Dresdner Sinfoniker and featured vocal accompaniments by the Czech Philharmonic Choir Brno. The transformative staging and special effects were devised by internationally renowned stage director Daniele Finzi Pasca.
Through the production of world-class collaborative works like Zarqa Al Yamama, the Theater and Performing Arts Commission seeks to create further opportunities for emerging Saudi performers to showcase their talent a global scale, promote cross-cultural engagement with the international community and introduce infrastructure which will inspire Saudis to forge careers in the arts both in the Kingdom and on the world stage.
The Communication Group plc supported on all international media relations for Zarqa Al Yamama, from arranging a photoshoot to capture hero imagery of key figureheads in Riyadh, through to organising an exclusive anchor feature with The Sunday Times and securing international media to attend the premiere. Media in attendance at the Riyadh premiere included the likes of The Daily Telegraph, Opéra Magazine (France), The Times, The National and Opera Magazine, with highlight coverage to date having featured in the BBC, The Times, Evening Standard, The Stage, Vogue Arabia and The Daily Telegraph, to name but a few.
