On the occasion of the 200th anniversary of the launch of the Ninth Symphony “Ode to Joy” by the world-renowned composer Ludwig van Beethoven, the National Museum of Egyptian Civilization (NMEC) in Fustat organized a classical musical evening titled “Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony Ode to Joy,” in collaboration with the European Union Delegation in Cairo.
During the evening, the Cairo Symphony Orchestra, conducted by the Egyptian Philharmonic Maestro Ahmed El Saedi, performed Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony. This symphony, known as the “Choral Symphony,” is one of the most important and historical musical compositions worldwide and was met with great admiration by the audience.
The evening saw a large public turnout, including a distinguished group of former ministers, public figures, ambassadors of foreign countries in Egypt, and several artists and music lovers.
Among the attendees were former Foreign Minister and former Secretary-General of the Arab League Amr Moussa, former Moroccan Foreign Minister and Minister of Culture Mohammed Bin Issa, and archaeologist and former Minister of Antiquities Dr. Zahi Hawass.
Dr. Ahmed Ghoneim, the Executive Director of the Museum Authority, began the evening with a speech on behalf of Mr. Ahmed Issa, Minister of Tourism and Antiquities.
He welcomed the attendees and expressed his delight at this artistic evening, which highlights the museum’s role as a cultural institution supporting various cultural and artistic events.
In his speech, he explained that the tourism industry in Egypt has achieved positive results in recent times in light of the implementation of the national strategy for tourism development, contributing to its goals of reaching 30 million tourists by 2028.