Wiltshire Music Centre

FINDING HOME FESTIVAL AT WMC

Qanun virtuoso, Maya Youssef is coming to Wiltshire Music Centre on 26 March for the world premiere performance and launch of her latest album, Finding Home. On the night she will joined by Dr Venetia Porter, curator of Islamic and Contemporary Middle East Art at the British Museum, in a free pre-concert talk, and a host of outstanding musical collaborators on stage including The Ligeti String Quartet.

Recorded at Wiltshire Music Centre in August 2021, Maya’s album, Finding Home is a journey through memories and the essence of home. Rooted in the Arabic classical tradition, her music forges pathways into jazz, Western classical and flamenco styles, and explores the deep and visceral sonic textures of the qanun, a 78-stringed plucked instrument. Maya’s album launch takes place in a weekend dedicated to celebrating Syrian arts and culture, as part of a specially curated festival, Finding Home (26&27 March).

Over the two days, there is something for everyone! A presentation by Qisetna, sharing memories and cultural identity through the art of hakawati (storytelling), an informal lunch and community gathering sharing Syrian culture and cuisine, and The Seven Gates of Damascus, an interactive musical theatre performance for children aged 5+. The concert is also available to livestream as part of the WMC Digital livestreaming series.

• wiltshiremusic.org.uk

Maya Youssef