A Musical Journey Between Europe and Morocco at the Heart of the European Parliament

Brussels – The European Parliament building in Brussels hosted a unique concert on Wednesday evening, uniting European classical music with the sounds of Arab-Andalusian music and the Hadra of Chefchaouen, with the aim of celebrating music as a universal language that transcends borders and brings cultures closer together.

Co-organized by the El Akademia association and Sabrina Repp, Member of the European Parliament and member of the Committee on Education, Culture and Sport, under the theme “Music and Dialogue: One Voice,” this event brought together 34 musicians of 12 different nationalities, under the direction of Franco-Moroccan violinist Monia Rizkallah, principal violinist at the Berlin State Opera and founder of the El Akademia project, which supports young Moroccan musicians in joining national and international professional orchestras.

The ensemble performed major works from the Western classical repertoire, including Edward Elgar’s “Nimrod,” Ernest Bloch’s Concerto Grosso, and Johann Sebastian Bach’s “Toccata,” juxtaposing them with the captivating sounds of Moroccan Arab-Andalusian music, heir to centuries of history and exchange between Mediterranean civilizations, represented by artists Abdelmalek Otmani and Hala Bensaid.

The performance, held in the presence of, among others, the Moroccan Ambassador to the European Union and NATO, Ahmed Reda Chami, and the Moroccan Ambassador to Belgium and Luxembourg, Mohamed Ameur, also featured female artists from Chefchaouen, guardians of the vocal tradition of the Hadra Chefchaounia, passed down from mother to daughter.

Their voices met the sounds of traditional Moroccan instruments and a classical orchestra, resulting in an original creation where different musical traditions listen to, respond to, and enrich one another.

Speaking at the opening of this event, Katarina Barley, Vice-President of the European Parliament, praised the organization of this initiative, which highlights music as a universal language of humanity, uniting people in their diversity and bringing out their commonalities and shared values.

For her part, MEP Sabrina Repp emphasized the role of culture in strengthening ties between peoples, a role that is becoming increasingly essential at a time when conflicts and tensions are multiplying globally. She stressed the need to support artists and cultural projects that bring people together and to ensure everyone’s right to access culture.

For her part, Monia Rizkallah highlighted the strong symbolism of organizing this concert in a place dedicated to dialogue, with the participation of musicians from different philharmonic orchestras around the world as well as Moroccan artists who are guardians of a rich musical tradition, which gives rise to a rich cultural dialogue and a true musical journey between Morocco and Europe.