What happens when the worlds of classical music and urban dance collide? 

Symphony of New Worlds is an electrifying encounter between music and movement styles from around the globe. Conductor Zahia Ziouani leads France's Divertimento Orchestra and City Chamber Orchestra of Hong Kong in performing classical dance masterpieces from Europe, Asia, Africa, and South America. In answer to their buoyant rhythms, 'Ambassador of French hip hop' (Financial Times) Mourad Merzouki and his Compagnie Käfig will unleash a whirlwind of movement, fusing hip hop, breakdance, martial arts, and contemporary dance into breathtaking spectacle. 

Ziouani and Merzouki are more than artists; they are cultural trailblazers reshaping their respective fields. By infusing their performances with diverse influences and democratising access to culture, they're paving the way for a new era of artistic creation. Join them in smashing through boundaries yet again, as you adventure into a Symphony of New Worlds!

Conductor: Zahia Ziouani

Orchestras: Divertimento Orchestra, City Chamber Orchestra of Hong Kong

Choreographer: Mourad Merzouki

Dancers: Compagnie Käfig

Programme

SAMARAS (arr. DEMARSY, MÈGE & SANTONI) Olympic Hymn

BIZET 'Farandole', no. 4 from L'Arlésienne Suite no. 2 

BOULANGER D'un matin de printemps

RIMSKY–KORSAKOV 'The Story of the Kalendar Prince', no. 2 from Scheherazade Symphonic Suite, op. 35

TURINA 'Orgía', no. 3 from Danzas fantásticas, op. 22

DE FALLA 'Danza ritual del fuego' from El amor brujo

TRADITIONAL SOUTH AFRICAN (arr. SANTONI & MÈGE) Hlonolofatsa

MÁRQUEZ Conga del fuego nuevo

COPLAND 'Hoe–down' from Rodeo

TRADITIONAL OCEANIA (arr. SANTONI & MÈGE) Kaiape & Sesere eeye

MUSSORGSKY 'Gopak' from The Fair at Sorochinsky 

ALFVÉN 'Vallflickans Dans' from Bergakungen

TAN DUN (arr. MÈGE & PUYAU) 'Drum and Gong' from Eight Colors for String Quartet

HISAISHI 'World Dreams', no. 1 from World Dreams Suite

SAINT–SAËNS 'Danse Bacchanale' from Samson et Dalila, op. 47

Zahia Ziouani

Conductor

Zahia Ziouani studied conducting with Maestro Sergiu Celibidache. In 1998, she founded the Divertimento Symphony Orchestra and worked tirelessly to establish it amongst the great symphonic ensembles active on a national and international level today. Ziouani's unique artistic vision shaped the Divertimento Orchestra into a powerful artistic model with a diverse repertoire ranging from Baroque to contemporary music. Ziouani has been the associate conductor of the instrumental ensemble Densité 93 and was the first guest conductor of the Algerian National Symphony Orchestra.  She regularly appears alongside renowned soloists, including Emmanuelle Bertrand, Raphaël Pidoux, Jean-Marc Phillips-Varjabédian, Tedi Papavrami, Xavier Phillips, Déborah Nemtanu, Sophie Koch, Ferruccio Furlanetto, Adam Laloum, Shani Diluka, Patrick Messina, Sylvia Carredu, and Michel Moragues. She has performed in prestigious venues including Philharmonie de Paris, Seine Musicale, Salle Pleyel, Grand Théâtre de Provence, Olympia Hall, and more. She is devoted to making symphonic repertoires accessible to all audiences, and, in 2008, she founded the Divertimento Academy to train young musicians. She has received numerous distinctions for her contributions to the music industry and society. Two documentaries and two books have featured her artistic work, and a biopic about her career titled Divertimento was released in January 2023.

Press:

'… a rich tapestry of song and sound, seamlessly travelling from one culture to another' WXXI News

'Passionate artist' 20 Minutes France

'Committed to access to culture for all' L'Humanité 

 'Will surely make you listen to music differently' Sudinfo

Mourad Merzouki

Choreographer

Mourad Merzouki has been a pioneering figure in the hip-hop dance movement since the early 1990s. His work brings together multiple disciplines like hip-hop, martial arts, circus arts, plastic arts, video, and live music. Raised in Lyon and rooted in circus arts and martial arts, Merzouki found his way into dance through hip-hop. Notable performances include Athina (1994) at the Lyon Dance Biennial, where he metamorphosed hip-hop dance from street art to stage performance. He was also the director of the Centre chorégraphique national de Créteil et du Val-de-Marne, where he promoted openness and access to dance. Merzouki remains committed to creating bridges between different artforms and audiences through festivals and projects like the Centre chorégraphique Pôle Pik. He is a member of the DRAC Île-de-France Choreographic Creation Aid Commission and the Caisse des Dépôts Dance Sponsorship Committee. Merzouki is listed in the Who's Who and has made his entry in the Petit Larousse illustré 2019.

Press:

'He has taught us to expect the highest level of craft from hip-hop performers' Financial Times 

'The Ambassador of French hip-hop' Financial Times 

'Turning hip-hop on its head' Euronews

'Brilliantly melded Brazilian urban dance and capoeira into a cohesive party package' The Washington Post