The Royal College of Music holds workshops in Egypt for young musicians, supported by the Sawiris Foundation, Community Jameel and the Grand Egyptian Museum

The Sawiris Foundation for Social Development (SFSD), Community Jameel, the Royal College of Music (RCM) in London and the Grand Egyptian Museum (GEM) today announced the conclusion of Mawheba, a three-day programme of masterclasses, workshops and auditions that aimed to expand access to top-tier conservatoire education for young Egyptian musicians.

Held at the GEM in Cairo on 4-6 November 2024, Mawheba offered participants – selected through a competitive process from over 250 applications – the opportunity to learn from and perform for the RCM’s head of vocal and opera and deputy head of strings. The RCM has been ranked the global number one institution for the performing arts for three years running.  

The 2024 Mawheba programme culminated in a showcase event at the GEM, with performances by Laura Mekhail, an Egyptian soprano who was the 2021 recipient of the Bocelli-Jameel scholarship at the RCM and was supported by SFSD during her studies, and RCM alumna Laura Ayoub, the multi-award-winning violinist and half of the Ayoub Sisters.

Laila Hosny, executive director of SFSD, said: “We are delighted to support this remarkable programme, which provides young musicians in Egypt with the unique opportunity to receive in-depth guidance from renowned instructors. Through Mawheba, we aim to foster creativity and empower talented individuals to reach their full potential. We hope this programme will inspire participants to pursue further education at prestigious institutions with support from initiatives like the Sawiris Arts and Culture Scholarship.”

Dr Ahmed Ghoneim, chief executive officer of the GEM, said: “The Grand Egyptian Museum is honoured to host the Mawheba programme, which aligns with our vision of fostering cultural exchange and promoting the arts in Egypt. By offering a platform for emerging talent to learn from world-class experts, we hope to inspire a new generation of musicians ready to make their mark globally.”

Cléa Daridan, head of arts and culture at Community Jameel, said: "Community Jameel is committed to expanding opportunities for rising young artists in the region seeking to advance their study of music. The Mawheba programme builds on our existing partnerships both with the Sawiris Foundation and the Royal College of Music as we seek to pave the way for more Arab students to pursue musical studies through the Bocelli-Jameel scholarship at the RCM and beyond.”  

James Williams, director of the RCM, said: “The RCM is immensely proud of its global reach, recruiting from over 63 different countries worldwide. This project brings together four visionary partners to ensure that young musicians form across Egypt have the unique opportunity to hone their performance and musicianship skills, through tuition by leading RCM professors from London. Music is a truly international language, and we have been inspired and deeply moved by the warmth of welcome we’ve received and the collective commitment to support a greater number of Egypt’s most talented young musicians to have the opportunity to study at a world-leading conservatoire like the RCM.”

Community Jameel and SFSD are committed to expanding access to high-quality music education for students from the Arab world and have deep partnerships with the RCM. In 2019, Community Jameel and the Andrea Bocelli Foundation launched a joint scholarship for opera students at the RCM. Five scholars – including one from Egypt – have been supported by the programme, with many going on to perform with Maestro Andrea Bocelli, the world-famous tenor.  

The Sawiris Arts and Culture Scholarship has supported Egyptian students at the RCM, among its many beneficiaries.  

In 2021, Fady Jameel, vice chairman of  Community Jameel, Samih Sawiris, founder and board member of SFSD, and Colin Lawson, then-director of the RCM, set out their vision for supporting Arab musicians in a joint editorial.

The following year, Community Jameel, SFSD and RCM convened a special event beneath the Great Pyramid of Giza that featured inspiring remarks by Farrah Eldibany and a performance by Laura Mekhail.