Cairo Celebration Choir (CCC)

Founded in 2000 by the choir’s artistic director Nayer Nagui, the Cairo Celebration Choir (CCC) is a cross section of Egypt at its best. Over 100 members from more than seven nationalities, various educational backgrounds and professions, brought together by a passion for music, and a dedication to singing to spread cross-cultural understanding and appreciation locally and internationally. The CCC premiered in 2000, in its first Christmas concert with soloists from the Cairo Opera Company and accompanied by the Cairo Opera Orchestra. Since then, the Christmas concerts have become an annual tradition awaited by its loyal audience. The CCC’s rich classic repertoire includes diverse pieces such as Gabriel Fauré’s Requiem, Rossini’s Petite Messe Solennelle, Schubert’s Stabat Mater, Handel’s Ode to St. Cecilia, Mozart’s Grand Mass in C minor, Beethoven’s Mass in C major and a selection of Gregorian songs. In an attempt to harmonize Arabic music, transcending class and cultural boundaries, the CCC also sings original arrangements by Nayer Nagui that include, Egyptian folk songs by distinguished Egyptian composers such as Sayed Darwish and Gamal Abdel Rahim; the musical rendition of a poem by Lebanese-American poet Eli Abou Madi entitled, The Philosophy of Life; and a musical piece by Nayer Nagui inspired by the Egyptian revolution of 2011 entitled, Metamorphose. The Choir also sings French composer Alain Huteau’s musical rendition of Les Deux Poemes.  CCC’s recordings include Mozart’s Ave Verum within the Mozart selections album of the Bibliotheca Alexandrina. As ambassadors of musical enlightenment across cultures, the CCC have performed in various cities locally including Cairo and Alexandria, and in regional performances including performances in North Africa, Middle East and Europe. The CCC have also participated in various landmark events such as the 30th Cairo International Cinema Festival and the Chinese Expo 2010. In November 2012, the CCC was awarded the silver award in the category of stylish interpretation of Arabic music at the international choral competition, Prague Voices 2012. In July 2016, CCC won the Silver Award Diploma in the category Folklore with Accompaniment at the major worldwide event the “World Choir Games 2016” which was held in Sochi, Russia. CCC was the first and only Egyptian choir to take part at the World Choir Games.

Conductor: Nayer Nagui

Born in Alexandria, 1970. Joined the Alexandria Conservatoire, where he studied Piano under the Italian Prof. Herta Pappo. Furthered his Musical studies in Cairo, where he obtained the advanced certificate of the Royal Schools of Music, London, in Piano performing and Theory of Music, 1996. Studied conducting with Prof. Maestro Dominique Rouits at L'Ecole Normale de Musique de Paris where he obtained his diploma of conducting in 2001. His vast repertoire ranges from Symphonic, Opera, Oratorios and Ballet conducting to Musicals, and Light Music. Among it, Rossini’s 3 comic Operas, Verdi’s “Aida”, “Rigoletto”, “Ballo in Maschera”, La “Traviata” Puccini’s “Tosca”, “La Boheme”, Donizzeti’s “L’elixir d’amore” and Mozart’s “Die Zauber flote and Cosi fan tutte”, Maroun Rahi’s “Antar wa Abla”. His Ballet repertoire includes, Prokofiev’s “Romeo & Juliet”, Ravel’s “Bolero”, Khatchaturian’s “Spartacus”, Theodorakis’s “Zorba”, Tshaikovsky’s “Nut cracker”, “Swan Lake” , Adam’s “Le Corsaire", “Giselle”, Minkus’s “Don Quixotte”, “La Bayadère” and Stravinski’s “Fire bird”. As for Oratorios and Choral works, it includes Mozart, Brahms, Fauré and Verdi Requiems as well as Rossini’s Petite Messe Solennelle, Schubert Stabat Matter, Vivaldi’s and Poulenc’s Glorias, Saygun’s Yunus Emre,Prokofiev’s “Alexander Nevski” Cantata, Mozart C minor Mass, Beethoven C Major Mass as well as Orff’s Carmina Burana. He wrote many compositions and arrangements for Choir, Orchestra and Soloists, performed in Egypt and in several International Festivals around the world, amongst them the music for the celebration convened by the Ministry of Culture marking the Golden Jubilee of the nationalization of Suez Canal, the music for the celebration convened by the Algerian Ministry of Culture marking Algiers as the Capital of Arabic Culture in 2006.His Arrangements of Sayyed Darwish songs for Choir won the Silver award for Stylish interpretation of Arabic Music in “Prague Voices” Choir Competition 2012,and a Silver diploma in the “World Choir Games” competition in Sochi 2016. The Founder and the Musical Director of the “Cairo Celebration Choir”, a Choir of 120 members performing famous Chorus works and Oratorios. He is also a Musical Director of Disney’s dubbing animation in Arabic language. Former Artistic Director and Principal Conductor of Cairo Opera Orchestra , as well as sharing the baton with famous French Conductor Michel Piquemal in the yearly International Festival of “Coro de Tres Culturas” in Morocco and Spain. Recently appointed as Principal Conductor for the Bibliotheca Alexandrina Orchestra. In addition to his yearly program with Orchestras and Choirs in Egypt, he also conducted Lecce Symphony Orchestra and Calabria Chamber Orchestra from Italy, European Camerata from the U.K, Ensemble Georges Solti from Hungary, the Bonner Vokalisten from Germany, Moroccan Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, the Algerian Symphony Orchestra, Orquesta Joven di Andalucia from Spain, the Royal Oman Symphony Orchestra, Minsk Festival Orchestra from Belarus, Shenzen Symphony Orchestra from China and Kappabachi Opera ensemble from Japan.

Founding Date: 2000-01-01

Choir Category: Age: Adult (18 and above)

Choir Category: Voices: Mixed

Choir Category: Size: 50 and above

Choir category: Level: Audition Choir (singers need to pass an audition to be members)

Contact person: Amira Shawky

manager@cairocelebrationchoir.com

+201024197617

Egypt

Cairo

Nayer Nagui: 16A Alhayat Residence Shorouk City, Cairo, Egypt - postal code 11837

https://cairocelebrationchoir.com