Baalbeck International Festival

The Baalbeck International Festival (Arabic: مهرجانات بعلبك الدولية, French: Festival International de Baalbeck) is a cultural event in Lebanon.^[1] Since 1955, people from around the world have gone to the city of Baalbek in the Beqaa Valley of Lebanon to attend the annual festival. Classical music, dance, theater, opera, and jazz as well as modern world music are performed each July and August in the ancient Roman Acropolis.^[2] The presidents of the festival have been as follows: Aimée Kettaneh from 1956 to 1968, Salwa es-Said from 1969 to 1972, May Arida from 1973 to 2010 and Nayla de Freige from 2011 to present.

History

The festivals date back to the mid 20th century with the first organizing activities being held in 1955 as part of the "Touristic Year 1955." After one year, President Chamoun appointed a festival committee with Kettaneh as its President, and named it the Baalbeck International Festival. It became a governmental institution whose goal was to promote tourism and Lebanese culture. The festival was held in July and August in the ruins of the Roman temples. In the early 1960s, it established a drama school called Theatre Libanais Moderne for the promotion of works done by Lebanese authors.

After the Lebanese Civil War (1975–1990) and the cessation of festival activities for a quarter century, the festival reopened in 1997.

Festival highlights

Ballet

Ballet Rambert (1959) Beryl Goldwyn
The Royal Ballet (1961 Margot Fonteyn)(1964 Fonteyne with Rudolph Nureyev)
Australian Ballet (1965)
Bolshoi Ballet (1971)^[3]
Stuttgart Ballet
Béjart Ballet Lausanne (Maurice Béjart)

Dance

Caracalla Dance Theatre
Paul Taylor Dance Company (1970)
The Dance Theater of Alwin Nikolais (1969)^[4]
The Alvin Ailey Dance Theater
Lord of the Dance

Jazz

Orchestra

The New York Philharmonic Orchestra (1959)
Chamber Orchestra of Stuttgart (1960)
The Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra (1964)
Chamber Orchestra of Moscow (1965)
English Chamber Orchestra (1966)
Lebanese National Symphony Orchestra (2002) (2019 with Marcel Khalife)
Santa Cecilia Academy Rome Orchestra

Singers, musicians, actors

Bands

Theatre

Fairuz, the Rahbani Brothers and the Lebanese popular troupe (from 1957 until 1973)(1998)(2006)
Comédie-Française (1961)
Théâtre National de Belgique

References

^ LBTAdmin (2018-07-05). "Get Ready for the Baalbeck International Festival". Lebanon Traveler. Retrieved 2019-03-01.
^ http://www.baalbeck.org.lb/venu.asp?lng=en Archived 2007-02-02 at the Wayback Machine, BIF Venues.
^ Middle East International No 4, July 1971, Publishers Lord Mayhew, Dennis Walters MP; Editor Michael Adams; p.22 (August 21-22)
^ "Bearnstow Journal — Historical Photos". bearnstowjournal.org. Retrieved 2024-11-05.
^ Middle East International No 4, July 1971, Publishers Lord Mayhew, Dennis Walters MP; Editor Michael Adams; p.22 (July 17)
^ "Mika Shares Letter to the Lebanese People 'Devastated by the Apocalypse'". Billboard. MRC. 8 August 2020. Retrieved 25 November 2020.

External links

Baalbeck International Festival Website

34°00′24″N 36°12′17″E / 34.00666°N 36.20483°E / 34.00666; 36.20483

[1] LBTAdmin (2018-07-05). "Get Ready for the Baalbeck International Festival". Lebanon Traveler. Retrieved 2019-03-01.

[2] ttp://www.baalbeck.org.lb/venu.asp?lng=en Archived 2007-02-02 at the Wayback Machine, BIF Venues.

[3] Middle East International No 4, July 1971, Publishers Lord Mayhew, Dennis Walters MP; Editor Michael Adams; p.22 (August 21-22)

[4] "Bearnstow Journal — Historical Photos". bearnstowjournal.org. Retrieved 2024-11-05.

[5] Middle East International No 4, July 1971, Publishers Lord Mayhew, Dennis Walters MP; Editor Michael Adams; p.22 (July 17)

[6] "Mika Shares Letter to the Lebanese People 'Devastated by the Apocalypse'". Billboard. MRC. 8 August 2020. Retrieved 25 November 2020.

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