Pianist Marouan Benabdallah: When Western Classical Music Meets the Arab World

The University of New England presents the internationally renowned Moroccan-Hungarian pianist Marouan Benabdallah, in a unique performance of Arabesques:  When Western Classical Music Meets the Arab World

Not yet thirty-five, acclaimed pianist Marouan Benabdallah is indisputably the leading representative of his native Morocco on the international concert stage. With a musical heritage deeply rooted in the Hungarian tradition, Marouan Benabdallah received his formal training at the Bela Bartok Conservatory and the Franz Liszt Academy in Budapest, Hungary. 

After being awarded the First Prize at nearly every major competition in his native Morocco by age 13, Marouan Benabdallah first attracted international attention in 2003, following his triumphs at the Hungarian Radio Piano Competition, the Andorra Grand Prize, and shortly after, the Naples International Piano Competition. His successes quickly lead to performances in Germany, Austria, China, Spain, the United Kingdom, France and Italy, among others. Marouan Benabdallah’s “stunning natural virtuosity” (Nice-Matin), “delicate stylishness” (Cleveland Plain Dealer), "compelling sense of momentum" (Washington Post), "resourceful pianism, lyrical instincts and thoughtfulness" (New York Times), placed him as soloist with numerous orchestras in Europe, Asia, Africa and America, including the Budapest Symphony Orchestra, Beijing Symphony Orchestra, Cannes Symphony Orchestra, Hungarian Radio Symphony Orchestra, Arad Philharmonic Orchestra, the Symphony Orchestra of India, the Venice Philharmonic Orchestra, the Bologna Philharmonic Orchestra (Italy), the McGill Chamber Orchestra and the Buenos Aires Philharmonic Orchestra, to name a few. He has performed on stages such as the Great Hall of the Franz Liszt Music Academy in Budapest, the Salle Cortot in Paris, the Laeiszhalle in Hamburg, the Forbidden City Concert Hall in Beijing, the Oriental Art Centre in Shanghai, the Teatro Communale di Bologna, the Teatro Colon in Buenos Aires, the Cairo Opera House and the Place des Arts in Montreal. 

He made his acclaimed American debut at Carnegie (Zankel) Hall in May 2011, performed Prokofiev's Piano Concerto No.3 under the baton of Maestro Lorin Maazel at the finale concert of the 2011 Castleton Festival (VA) and made his Kennedy Center debut in Washington, DC in November of the same year. 

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