Soprano Zeina Barhoum Honored at the Centennial Celebrations of Ukrainian Diplomatic Relations

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After Receiving the Grand Prix at an International Competition

Soprano Zeina Barhoum Honored at the Centennial Celebrations of Ukrainian Diplomatic Relations


The Embassy of Ukraine in Jordan has honored Jordanian Soprano Zeina Barhoum during the ceremony that was held by the Embassy on Thursday, De3cember 21st at the Dead Sea Marriott Resort. The ceremony was held in commemoration of the 100th anniversary of the establishment of Ukrainian diplomacy and the developing diplomatic relations between both countries (1917 - 1921).

The Embassy awarded Zeina with the Grand Prix, which she had previously won during the 2nd Taras Shevchenko International Singing Competition, where she sang, for the first time, Taras Shevchenko's popular folk song 'The Mighty Dnieper Roars and Bellows' in Arabic and Ukrainian.

In November, Zeina took part of the Opening Ceremony of the eighth edition of the World Science Forum (WSF 2017) in Jordan that is headed by HRH Sumaya bint El Hassan, President of the Royal Scientific Society and under the auspices of His Majesty King Abdullah II Ibn Al Hussein of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan. The Forum was held for the first time in the Arab world.

Most recently, Jordanian soprano Zeina Barhoum gave a performance at a venue in Somerset organized by a group known as "Ebenezer Presents" to an audience of more than 150 people, as part of the album tour that started with a big concert in China. A few days ago, Zeina Barhoum and Somerset artist Peter Lawrence launched their new project Alcantara Beyond the Wells: Bridging Cultures with Music and Art that is inspired by the album series Alcantara: Bridging Cultures Across the Mediterranean and Beyond. The project includes an art exhibition of paintings by Barhoum and Lawrence that will be running from October 28, 2017 to January 31, 2018 at the Bishop's Palace in Wells, UK.

The exhibition will lead to a concert in Wells Cathedral, which can accommodate more than 1000 people, on March 16, 2018 by Zeina with an assembled choir from Somerset schools and adult choirs, orchestra and soloists all led by several artists, including Tricia Reese Jones who coaches the choir as well as conducts several musical pieces, alongside the choir's main conductor Lorenzo Tazri, Creative Director of the Amman Opera Festival. The music will be a blend of Western and Arabic music and styles with Gabriel Faure's Requiem as the largest piece but including some first performances of new compositions and arrangements. The exhibition will feature landscapes and impressions of Wells, Somerset, Europe and the Arab world. Zeina is going to visit some of the schools participating in the Wells concert in March.

Soprano Zeina Barhoum is preparing to present performances of Opera La Bohème during the 2nd round of the Amman Opera Festival that is set to be held early fall 2018. La Bohème is based on Henri Murger's novel, Scènes de la Vie de Bohème, a collection of vignettes portraying young bohemians living in the Latin Quarter of Paris in the 1840s. This comes following the unprecedented success of La Traviata performances, that were held at the Roman Amphitheater and featured various orchestras from the region and abroad as well as International, regional and local talent starring in the opera.

Most recently, Barhoum joined the World Food Programme (WFP) in organizing a Healthy Not Hungry Dinner, in cooperation with the United Nations, on Saturday, October 14. This event coincided with the World Food Day, in an effort to increase public awareness of the suffering caused by hunger and to combat starvation around the world. Any proceeds resulting from the event will be donated to Syrian refugee children.

Zeina Barhoum is a classically trained Soprano and founder of The Alcántara music and art series. Zeina has performed at benefits countless times for the benefit of women, children, peace and prosperity. Among her many invitations to perform, Barhoum was invited to perform at Kensington Palace in celebration of Women achievers, and for bridging cultures through the Arab International Women's Forum.

Her album Alcántara refers to the Roman stone arch bridge built in Extremadura, Spain. The title of the song reflects Zeina's dedication to building strong connections of understanding and compassion through her music. Her second Song, Alcantara II was recently recorded live and launched in a concert accompanied by the Philharmonic Orchestra of Lviv and Choir lead by Conductor Lorenzo Tazzieri. Zeina obtained a BSC in Visual Communication at the American University of Sharjah.