FROM DAMASCUS TO DRESDEN

Yara studies violin in Damascus. Her instrument is from Vienna. When her home country of Syria is torn apart by war and destruction, she is unable to take her beloved violin with her when she has to fly. It was only after Yara arrived at Musaik in Dresden that a friend brought the violin from Damascus to Dresden.

In our current project, the children and young people of the Musaik orchestra accompany the violin musically as it overcomes numerous obstacles on its journey from the Syrian capital via Vienna to Dresden to finally be reunited with its musician. The musical journey begins in Damascus with Syrian pieces such as 'Bint El Shalabiya', crosses Turkey with folk tunes such as 'Ah Ya Zein!', swings through Austria with a Viennese waltz and finally reaches the musical world of Germany, where peace returns with Johannes Brahms' Lullaby.

There are two opportunities to hear this musical journey:

On 19 June 2025, the orchestra will perform in the gymnasium of the 121st grammar school at Gamigstrasse 28 in Dresden-Prohlis - the gymnasium will be transformed into an oriental market!
And on 25 June 2025, the young members of the ensemble 'Kaffeehaus in Damaskus' will perform the world premiere of a new work by Sebastian Rehnert at the Palais Sommer Dresden, combining Arabic and European musical traditions to create a sonic dialogue between home and faraway places. The Banda Comunale will also perform.