It is said that Medina Azahara would not have shone as we know it today if women like Lubna, Radiya, Kitman, Muzna, Aisha, Subh, Muryan, or Wallada had not existed within its walls. Azahara, the Medina, is perhaps the concert of this edition that most contemporaneously brings us closer to classical music. We are discovering our history and heritage from a truly fresh and feminine perspective.

María Dolores Gaitán and Maya Youssef, both brilliant women, young and celebrated with the highest international accolades, have performed with the world’s most prestigious orchestras, receiving awards both at home and abroad. Above all, given by an intense interest in modernizing established norms, they will present a performance of unique exoticism, showcasing the continued relevance of classical music and its roots in an extraordinary dialogue between past and present, as expressed through their instruments.

We will witness the world premiere of María Dolores Gaitán’s new album, “Alhajas”, inspired by a modern interpretation of Andalusian music. Joining her is the BBC-recognized “Queen of the Qanun,” Maya Youssef. Under the enchantment of Medina Azahara and the richness of the three cultures, they will breathe new life into the past’s golden era. An imaginary journey through time that will make us feel the strength, intelligence, delicacy, and passion of the women of the “brilliant city.”

The program features several noteworthy compositions, including Dia Succari’s “La Nuit du Destin,” which draws from musical transliterations dating back to the 8th century, inspired by Arab “maqam.” There is also Danilo Lorenzini’s “Hebrew Rhapsody” based on the synagogue chants of Maimonides, featuring the theme Yigdal Elohim, upon which the thirteen principles of the Jewish religion are based. And, of course, the poetic and  widely known “Scheherazade” by Korsakov, inspired by the Eastern tales of the “One Thousand and One Nights.”