Oriental Landscapes festival and conference originated in Syria and took place twice in Damascus. We are pleased to be able to continue the concept by bringing the festival to the Netherlands. We previously highlighted some of the ideas from Oriental Landscapes during the Global Week for Syria (http://syrianmusiclives.com/globalweekforsyria) project. Now we aim to dedicate the whole program to the
topic of safeguarding the Cultural Heritage of the Middle East and looking into the future of culture in the Middle East. Heritage has always been a dynamic concept. It is not limited solely to creation in the field of culture but can be considered as part of a social movement that helps open cultural identity to the cultures of other civilizations. In order for this to happen efforts must be made to document heritage in a way that highlights its uniqueness while ensuring its continuity. At the same time it is of great importance to develop opportunities for a new generation to interact with their heritage. This opens the way for an infinite number of creative possibilities that connect the past to the present. In seeking to achieve that goal, Music and Beyond Foundation is initiating the first Dutch edition of Oriental Landscapes. Oriental Landscapes combines a series of international oriental music concerts and conferences, introducing a global musical space that brings East and West into an artistic dialogue. The goal is to create an annual event that will focus on different topics related to the Maqam world. This festival edition will highlight the role Syria has played culturally in connecting the civilizations of the Orient. Our unique focus is on contemporary oriental music and on building connections between masters of classical oriental music traditions and a new generation artists and composers. The programming promotes the idea that diversity results in richness in both Western and Eastern cultures. We believe that the numerous prominent artists, composers and scholars from the MENA region living in Europe today, as well as Western experts in Oriental culture is a valuable resource for enriching the cultural field in European countries - new encounters & cultural exchange thus open the door to new possibilities for dialogue between local communities in the Netherlands. Oriental Landscapes is meant not only as a unique platform for eastern music in the Netherlands but also as an opportunity for the exchange of information and ideas among specialists in this field. The resulting encounters will give audiences the chance to connect with this rich heritage and the different types of music born out of cross-cultivation and the interaction of different cultural environments. The focus is on wider involvement and interaction with audiences beyond performing musicians and specialists in the field of musicology. The discussions and introductory lectures will be accessible to anyone interested in learning about Oriental culture and history.
