World Premiere: “Ousafirou Wahdi Malikan”, A Grand Symphonic
Oratorio Marking the Centennial of Mansour Rahbani
Composed by Oussama Rahbani | Starring Hiba Tawaji
Highlights
World premiere of the epic symphonic oratorio “Ousafirou Wahdi
Malikan” co-produced by Oussama Rahbani and Abu Dhabi Festival
Hiba Tawaji awarded the National Order of the Cedar (Knight)
Mansour Rahbani honoured with the Abu Dhabi Festival Award
(presented in association with Chopard), received by his sons Oussama,
Ghadi, and Marwan Rahbani
Under the patronage of the President of the Lebanese Republic, General Joseph
Aoun, and attended by leading political, diplomatic, cultural and artistic figures,
alongside extensive Lebanese and Arab media coverage, Beirut hosted on January
13 and 14 the world premiere of the epic symphonic oratorio “Ousafirou Wahdi
Malikan” at the historic Sacred Heart Church (Collège du Sacré-Cœur –
Frères), Gemmayzeh.
On a night shaped by poetry and symphonic grandeur, the voice of Lebanese
international star Hiba Tawaji rose through the verses of Mansour Rahbani,
entwining with the orchestral score composed by maestro Oussama Rahbani. The
performance was delivered by the National Symphony Orchestra of Ukraine,
with the participation of the Notre Dame University–Louaize Choir, conducted
by Father Khalil Rahme, in a co-production between Abu Dhabi Festival and
Oussama Rahbani, a landmark event crowning the nationwide centennial
celebrations dedicated to Mansour Rahbani.
Abu Dhabi Festival as part of its Abroad Program for 2026, and through a
collaboration between Oussama Rahbani and the Abu Dhabi Music & Arts
Foundation (ADMAF), Beirut witnessed the birth of the monumental symphonic
oratorio “Ousafirou Wahdi Malikan (I Journey Alone, as a King) drawn from
Mansour Rahbani’s book of the same title, its poetic texts met the sweep of
Rahbani’s symphonic writing and the singular presence of Hiba Tawaji,
accompanied by the visiting Ukrainian orchestra, which travelled especially from
abroad for this major centennial finale.
Following the Lebanese and Ukrainian national anthems, the evening unfolded as a
meticulously crafted audio-visual experience, realized at the highest artistic and
technical standards within the sacred setting of the venue, whose history and
spirituality lent the performance an added resonance. With narrator Jad Rahbani
guiding the journey, Mansour’s poems set sail into expansive realms of music and
beauty, drawing the audience into his wide, cosmic vision and philosophical
meditation on the great questions: life and death, art and the human condition,
departure and absence, being and exile, earth and love, women and homelands…
This vast horizon, charged with existential breadth, was transformed by Oussama
Rahbani into an epic oratorio, woven from intricate symphonic writing that
affirms his distinctive voice as a composer. His score carried the poems like
luminous vessels, at times resembling a procession of apocalyptic ships crossing
storm-tossed seas, reaching toward the heavens, and building bridges between eras,
places and imagined worlds.
And then there was Hiba Tawaji’s voice, at once thunderous, intimate and radiant,
propelling the oratorio’s breath and spirit into wider territories of emotion and
artistic revelation: an operatic performance of the highest caliber, rich with
expressive intensity and refined artistry that captivated hearts and stirred the hall.
Last night was no ordinary concert, nor a passing cultural moment. It felt like a
royal procession escorting the timeless poems Mansour Rahbani wrote in the
ink of spirit and the light of thought. Music became a torch, passed from
generation to generation, illuminating the path of art and the throne of poetry, as
time and place seemed to merge and rise toward rare clarity. In this sense, the
performance stood as a fitting culmination for the centennial celebrations of
Mansour Rahbani, whose pioneering works helped shape the contours of modern
Arab musical theatre, and whose legacy remains vivid in the Arab cultural
memory, retaining its brilliance across generations.
National Honours and Awards
At the close of the evening, Hiba Tawaji was honored by the Presidency of the
Lebanese Republic: she received the National Order of the Cedar awarded by
President General Joseph Aoun and conferred by Lebanon’s Minister of Culture
Dr. Ghassan Salameh.
the prestigious Abu Dhabi Festival Award, presented in collaboration with
Chopard, was conferred posthumously upon Mansour Rahbani. The prestigious
award was presented by Her Excellency Huda Alkhamis-Kanoo, Founder of the
Abu Dhabi Music & Arts Foundation (ADMAF), and Founder and Artistic
Director of Abu Dhabi Festival and received by Mansour Rahbani sons,
Oussama, Marwan and Ghadi Rahbani. Awarded annually, the Abu Dhabi Festival
Award honors individuals whose exceptional contributions have shaped and
advanced the cultural and artistic landscape. In recognizing the Rahbani brothers,
the award acknowledges their lasting influence and vital role in preserving,
reinterpreting and advancing one of the Arab world’s most influential musical and
theatrical traditions.
About the Oratorio “Ousafirou Wahdi Malikan”
A co-production between Oussama Rahbani and the Abu Dhabi Music & Arts
Foundation (ADMAF) within Abu Dhabi Festival Abroad.
Music composed by: Oussama Rahbani
Vocals: Hiba Tawaji
With: National Symphony Orchestra of Ukraine
And Notre Dame University–Louaize Choir, conducted by Father Khalil
Rahme
Narrator: Jad Rahbani
About the Abu Dhabi Music & Arts Foundation (ADMAF):
Founded in 1996, ADMAF is one of the first cultural organizations in the Arabian
Gulf. Pioneering new artistic practices, it seeks to deepen global cross-cultural
dialogue and inspire a renewed interest in the creativity of the UAE and Arab
world. Often in partnership with leading national and international institutions, it
delivers multidisciplinary initiatives for people of all ages, backgrounds and
nationalities through the Abu Dhabi Festival, year-round youth platforms and
community programs.
For more information, please visit ADMAF website at: www.admaf.org.
About Abu Dhabi Festival:
Founded in 2004, the Abu Dhabi Festival was generously granted the patronage of
the President, His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, from 2007 to 2011.
The first Abu Dhabi Festival was held under the patronage of His Highness
Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the then Minister of Information and
Culture (UAE Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs). Abu Dhabi
Festival is the festival of “Bilad Al Khayr”, the land of blessings, the land of
Zayed, and embraces the values of dialogue, tolerance, respect and peace.
For more information, please visit www.abudhabifestival.ae.
