In first, London Symphony ties up with California classical academy

Updated 12 April 2018
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In first, London Symphony ties up with California classical academy

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LOS ANGELES: The Music Academy of the West, a leading classical school and festival set on the California coast, announced Thursday that it will offer a seasonal home for the London Symphony Orchestra.</p>

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In its first long-term educational partnership in the US, the premier British orchestra signed on to a four-year relationship with the academy which recently concluded a similar arrangement with the New York Philharmonic.</p>

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The full London Symphony Orchestra will take up residence in 2019 and 2021 at the Music Academy of the West, set on the Pacific in Santa Barbara in southern California wine country.</p>

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The school selects promising young adults each year to spend the summer studying music, with room, board and tuition provided.</p>

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As part of the partnership, 12 students will be chosen to train further each winter in London under the orchestra’s music director Simon Rattle, one of the world’s most prominent conductors.</p>

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“Nurturing the next generation of musicians is central to the LSO’s mission,” the orchestra’s managing director, Kathryn McDowell, said in a statement.</p>

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Michael Tilson Thomas, the music director of the San Francisco Symphony and former principal conductor in London, will spend each summer in Santa Barbara.</p>

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Announcing its season, the Music Academy of the West also said that Gustavo Dudamel, the star Venezuelan conductor of the Los Angeles Philharmonic, will close the summer by leading Mahler’s Symphony No. 2, known as the Resurrection Symphony.</p>

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The outdoor August 11 performance, which will feature 4,000 tickets at just $10 and free admission for young people, is meant to pay tribute to Santa Barbara after a deadly mudslide and fires.</p>


Jessica Kahawaty to narrate London concert paying tribute to Arab music icons

Updated 24 February 2026
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Jessica Kahawaty to narrate London concert paying tribute to Arab music icons

DUBAI: Australian Lebanese model and entrepreneur Jessica Kahawaty this week announced that she will serve as the storyteller for “A Night With The Legends,” a one-night musical tribute celebrating iconic women of Arabic music, taking place at London’s Royal Albert Hall on March 5.

Kahawaty will portray Scheherazade and deliver spoken narration during the program.

The evening will pay tribute to the legacies of Umm Kulthum, Fairuz, Warda, Sabah, Asmahan and Layla Mourad.

Vocals will be performed by Lebanese vocalist Abeer Nehme, accompanied by the UK-based London Arab Orchestra under the direction of conductor Basel Saleh, alongside the London-based Royal Philharmonic Concert Orchestra. The program will also feature a 70-member all-female choir.

“I’m incredibly humbled,” Kahawaty wrote to her 1.8 million followers on Instagram. “As storyteller, I’ll be weaving history, memory and meaning into the musical experience in a one-night tribute celebrating the iconic women of the golden era of Arabic music.”

“I cannot wait to see you all there,” she added.

Kahawaty is also an entrepreneur. She co-founded fine jewelry label Kahawaty Jewels with her father, master jeweler Ghassan Kahawaty, launching the Dubai-based brand last year as a continuation of the family’s longstanding craftsmanship tradition.

“I grew up watching my father in his jewelry trade. I saw how happy he made people when he created these beautiful pieces,” Kahawaty previously told Arab News. “I’ve always wanted to continue my father’s legacy and my grandfather’s trade. I felt like this is the perfect time to launch Kahawaty Jewels in Dubai, which is a city I’ve been in for over 13 years.”

Kahawaty and her mother are also behind UAE-based food delivery business Mama Rita. In July last year, the pair expanded the venture with the launch of a cookbook, which featured a cover endorsement from Hollywood actress and producer Courteney Cox.

Writing on Instagram at the time, Kahawaty said: “The moment we held the Mama Rita cookbook in our hands for the very first time … after two years of pouring our hearts into it. And we’re beyond thrilled to share a special surprise on the cover — a quote from the one and only (Courteney Cox). Her iconic role as Monica in ‘Friends’ — the talented chef, perfectionist and loving control freak — mirrors so much of the dynamic between mum and me. And her true persona is even more beautiful, warm and generous.”