AR Rahman will creatively lead the new Firdaus Women’s Orchestra in the UAE
Composer and songwriter AR Rahman will work with Expo 2020 Dubai to create a world-class music recording studio in the UAE. He has been announced as a mentor and a composer for the first project — Expo 2020’s new all-female orchestra.
Rahman will lead the Firdaus Women’s Orchestra, which is now the new Firdaus Studio by AR Rahman. The orchestra will bring together 50 talented women musicians from across the UAE and wider MENA region to create a unique musical project that will benefit from the state-of-the-art facility, which will serve as the orchestra’s rehearsal base. It aims to draw on inspiration from the UAE and region’s centuries-old rich musical traditions through instruments like the oud, rebaba and darbuka.
The orchestra is set to perform at the Expo 2020, including two AR Rahman concerts, a special show for International Women’s Day on March 8, 2021, plus a number of other events and performances across the site.
Rahman said, “This world-leading studio will attract the cream of the industry to Dubai. Working with the most exciting female musical talents of the region, the Firdaus Women’s Orchestra will enable Dubai to become a focal point for making ground-breaking new music, and I look forward to being part of that.”