Egyptian Philharmonic Chamber Orchestra

Laura Mikkola, piano  (Finland)

Ahmed El Saedi, Conductor (Egypt)

Saturday November 29th, 2008 – 8 p.m.

Laura Mikkola, piano

         Finland

Laura Imola Mikkola has become a highly recommended and recognized artist, performing as a soloist with known international orchestras, like Helsinki Philharmonic, Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra, Los Angeles Philharmonic, Mariinsky Theatre Orchestra of St. Petersbourg with conductors like Valery Gergiev, Jukka-Pekka Saraste, Leif Segerstam, Osmo Vänskä to name a few. She toured the globe with recitals playing in Japan, the USA, South Africa, Columbia and Chile playing in the most prestigious halls like the Suntory Hall-Tokio (1995), Carnegie Hall-New York (1996), the Kennedy Center-Washington D.C. (2002).

She is the first prize winner in the International Unisa Transnet Piano Competition in Pretoria, Republic of South Africa 1994, second prize winner in the prestigious Queen Elisabeth International Piano Competition of Brussels 1995, the first prize winner in the Maj Lind Competition in Helsinki 1992 and the first prize in the International M. Ravel Piano Competition in France, 1988.

Ms. Mikkola Has recorded for such labels as Naxos, BIS Sweden. Since 2003 she has been the artistic director of Iitti Music Festival (Finland).

Ahmed El-Saedi, conductor

                Egypt

Ahmed El-Saedi has studied at the Hochschule für Musik und Darstellende Kunst in Vienna with Othmar Suitner Friedrich Cerha and Franz Eibner. He has also studied with Sergiu Celebidache in Germany. El Saedi has worked with numerous distinguished orchestras around the globe such as: The Poznan Philharmonic Orchestra, the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, UK and the Prague Radio Symphony Orchestra to name a few. He has also collaborated with many outstanding soloists such as: Nikolai Petrov, Christina Ortiz, Ramzi Yassa. Maestro El Saedi's permanent engagements have included the Wiener Virtuosen Chamber Orchestra 1986-1988, The Egyptian Chamber Orchestra 1989-1995, the Cairo Symphony Orchestra 1991-2003 and since October 2003, the newly founded Philharmonic Chamber Orchestra. that belongs to The Egyptian Philharmonic Society.

Program

W. A. Mozart:              Serenata Notturna in D-Major K. 239

L. v. Beethoven:           Concerto for Piano and Orchestra No. 2 op. 19 in B-flat Major

Intermission

F. Schubert:                  Symphony No. 5 in B-flat Major

Direct questions and comment to Manaster@cdf-eg.org
The copy ©2005 Cultural Development Fund. All Rights reserved