All-Women Musical Ensemble Firdaus Orchestra Releases First Single

Firdaus Orchestra, Expo 2020 Dubai’s pioneering all-women musical ensemble, has released on Apple Music its recording of Beethoven’s ‘Moonlight Sonata’, arranged by Grammy Award-winning composer A.R. Rahman.

The first commercial release by Firdaus, the piece made its debut in the orchestra’s first performance on 23 October 2021. It features soloists Tamara Tomanovic on the piano, Olena Ponpon on the violin, Kseniia Baknina on the viola, and Vesislava Todorova on the cello.

Firdaus Orchestra is conducted by Yasmina Sabbah, who holds a Masters of Music in Choral Studies from the University of Cambridge, and is made up of 23 nationalities from across the Arab world, with ages ranging from 16-51 years.