The Embassy of Switzerland continued its event series dedicated to the 90-years anniversary of the Friendship Treaty between Switzerland and Egypt by inviting the internationally acclaimed Swiss pianist Joseph-Maurice Weder to Cairo.
In his first musical appearance in Egypt and the African continent, the Steinway artist mesmerized his audience during a concert titled “Strings of Friendship” at the National Museum of Egyptian Civilization on 11 September together with the exceptional Swiss-Egyptian violinist Medhat Abdel-Salam. During their performances, the two artists explored classical music from Eastern and Western composers ranging from Johann Sebastian Bach to Mona Ghoneim, Frédéric Chopin and César Franck, symbolizing the friendship between East and West, and between Egypt and Switzerland. The concert was attended by Egyptian government officials, Egyptian and foreign ambassadors, representatives of the UN and cultural institutes, as well as members of the Egyptian and the Swiss community.
Joseph-Maurice Weder also made a visit to the Cairo Conservatoire, part of the renowned Academy of Arts. During a four-hour Masterclass, Weder transferred his long professional experience to a selected number of piano students, offering them new inputs and perspectives on their ways of creating art on their instruments. The Masterclass was followed by a concert, in which he played some of the most famous pieces composed by Frédéric Chopin. For a peak into Weder’s performance at the National Museum of Egyptian Civilization and his interpretation of Chopin, please click here.
