Candles lit the corridors of the Roman Palace in the Tunisian city of El-Jem, and dreamy music flowed through it again with the return of the International Symphonic Music Festival after a two-year absence due to the Corona pandemic.
The thirty-fifth session of the festival kicked off on Tuesday under the slogan “Return to El-Jem”, with the participation of local and international symphony groups, who will perform a series of concerts at the ancient El-Jem Palace until August 13.
The opening evening was revived by the Tunisian Symphony Orchestra, led by Mourad Ferrini, in partnership with the Tunis Opera Theatre.
“Today’s festival is the first of the summer festivals, a valuable festival that presents high-end music that appeals to a large number of audiences, and is held in an archaeological place that bears the fragrance of history,” Minister of Cultural Affairs Hayat Qatat Al-Qarmazi told the media.
On July 16, the festival will present an Italian show that celebrates the late Italian musician Ennio Morricone (1928-2020) and Italian cinema, with flautist Andrea Grimanali and Octa Jazz Quartet.
The festival will also host on July 30 Tunisian opera singer Hassan El Doss, on August 4, the Austrian band Shake Stew, and on August 6, the Vienna Pal Opera Orchestra.
The closing ceremony will be revived by the Angham musical group led by Rehab Al-Saghir, with the participation of the German “Reflector” group, in cooperation with the Tunis 88 Association.
El Jem International Symphonic Music Festival, founded by former Tunisian politician Mohamed Nasser in 1985 in El Jem in the eastern Mahdia governorate, is one of the most famous festivals in Tunisia.
