Layale Chaker and her ensemble brought the music of Lebanon in the 50’s back to life in “Mkhammas”. The singers Rima Khcheich and Rabih Lahoud presented themselves with fabulous ensembles. The project choir “Salam Syria”, a co-production between the Elbphilharmonie Hamburg and the Morgenland Festival, had its first appearance in Osnabrück. The double bass player Renaud Garcia-Fons and Derya Türkan on the kamanche presented in perfect interaction two of the most different string instruments imaginable, and Saleem Ashkar ended his brilliant Beethoven cycle.

We welcomed old friends back to Osnabrück with the ensembles Hewar and Capella de la Torre, and also welcomed 47Soul, one of the most exciting Arabian bands of today. The percussionist extraordinaire from Libya, Rony Barrak, was a guest this year with the oud player Elie Khoury. Jasser Haj Youssef gave a midnight improvisation on the violin and viola d’amore in the Kunsthalle Osnabrück. The Osnabrück Youth Choir, the Morgenland All Star Band and DJ Ipek performed concerts in Beirut and Tripoli and were joined for some by the Children’s Choir of the NGO Yalla! Pour les Enfants and the Antoine University Choir.