9 burgeoning female Arab musicians ushering a new era of music in the Middle East

Earlier this year, Egyptian soprano Laura Mekhail shared the stage with Andrea Bocelli in AlUla in an enthralling performance of Canto della Terra. The first Arab woman to receive the prestigious Bocelli-Jameel scholarship at the Royal College of Music, Mekhail’s journey has been an inspirational one. “I’m from a small city called Minia; my father is a doctor, and my mother is an engineer. To opt for an unconventional career like classical singing was uncommon,” says Mekhail. But she was adamant and sought a scholarship for singing abroad despite the “what are you going to do with this degree” questions. The soprano has had a passion for singing since she was a little girl and recalls getting a standing ovation at her church choir as a soloist during an Easter service. That very moment is when she decided to become a classical singer. “It’s an honor to be the first Arab to receive the Bocelli-Jameel scholarship. But it comes with a responsibility – many young classical singers look up to me and ask me questions about how I got there. I must always improve in what I do as an opera singer.” Next, she will perform a recital at Dubai Opera for her first title role as Jane Eyre with the Green Opera Company in London.