Report from the 11 January 2024
Villa Hegra joins forces with the Opéra de paris for an artistic event at Alula
As part of the launch of the prefiguration program for the Franco-Saudi Villa in AlUla, north-west Saudi Arabia, the Paris Opera and Villa Hegra have announced a partnership. For the very first time in AlUla, an artistic performance by the prestigious French institution will be staged in the heart of an exceptional natural and cultural heritage. This partnership embodies Villa Hegra's mission to foster creative dialogue between cultures, between Saudi Arabia and France. It also illustrates the Villa's commitment to promoting the performing arts.
An exceptional event in the heart of AlUla
On the evening of January 17, AlUla will welcome artists from the Paris Opera, as well as a guest Saudi soprano. The event will take place in the exceptional Maraya Performance Hall - the world's largest mirror-formed building at the heart of this new global cultural destination.
The Paris Opera invites AlUla visitors to discover the great pages of the operatic repertoire and a choreographic creation, as well as an exhibition of some of the finest opera and ballet costumes created by its workshops.
This evening will mark the meeting of the new generation of opera singers trained at the Paris Opera Academy, and the young Saudi singer Sawsan Albahiti, with the complicity of the Étoile dancer of the Paris Opera Ballet, Alice Renavand.
Fostering creative dialogue: a key partnership challenge
The partnership between Villa Hegra and the Paris Opera marks an important step in the artistic, cultural and creative dialogue between France and Saudi Arabia to promote the art of opera and choreography. As part of this first concert, Saudi soprano Sawsan Albahiti will benefit from a week's immersive training at the Paris Opera Academy.
The partnership will also include an introductory program in music, song and dance, led by artists from the Paris Opera, in cooperation with AlUla's Music Hub. Some fifteen young musicians from the local community, currently in training, will have the opportunity to attend a presentation of the history and activities of the Paris Opera, enriched by the inspiring testimonies of the guest artists, who will share their career paths and the challenges of their professions.
The first step in a longer-term partnership
This first step marks the beginning of a long-term partnership between Villa Hegra and the Paris Opera. This partnership will offer both artistic performances, as well as training programs and the transmission of the prestigious institution's know-how to AlUla.
About Villa Hegra:
The Villa Hegra is a Franco-Saudi institution dedicated to the arts and culture, born out of a bilateral cooperation agreement. Designed as a space for artistic, cultural, and creative dialogue between France and Saudi Arabia, it also serves as the foundation for dialogue between local communities and international artists. The Villa Hegra will open its doors in 2026 in AlUla, Saudi Arabia, and will house artist residencies and a cultural center. A comprehensive pre-opening program is planned, including cultural workshops for teenagers, cine-concerts, music and dance performances, lectures, and artist retreats.
About the Paris Opera:
With a history spanning more than 350 years, the Paris Opera is renowned for the quality and diversity of its programming at the Palais Garnier and Opéra Bastille, and for the unique architecture of its two theaters. With over 400 curtain-raisers a year, the Paris Opera offers a program of ballets, operas and concerts, as well as a program dedicated to young audiences. It welcomes some 900,000 spectators every year. The Paris Opera also trains new generations of artists, dancers, singers and musicians, thanks to its Academy and Ballet School.
Artist biographies
Alice Renavand – Danseuse Etoile du Ballet de l’Opéra de Paris
Born in Paris to a Vietnamese mother and French father, Alice Renavand enrolled at the age of 8 at the Saint-Cloud Conservatoire de Danse...
Marianne Croux - Soprano
Marianne Croux, a Franco-Belgian soprano trained at the CNSM in Paris, is a rising opera star. Consecrated Révélation lyrique by ADAMI in 2017, she has joined the Paris Opera Academy until 2019...
Sawsan Albahiti – Soprano
Sawsan Albahiti, artist and coach, is considered Saudi Arabia's leading opera singer. She has performed on a number of international and local stages, including London, Berlin, Riyadh and AlUla. She founded her own vocal coaching institute, The Soulful Voice...
Farrah El Dibany – Mezzo
Farrah El Dibany, born in 1989 in Alexandria, Egypt, is a renowned mezzo-soprano. She began studying piano at the age of 10 before turning to singing. Trained in Egypt and then at the Hanns-Eisler Academy of Music in Berlin, she obtained a Bachelor's and Master's degree in opera singing...
Yu Shao - tenor
Yu Shao, a Chinese tenor trained at the Shanghai Conservatory, obtained his Bachelor of Music degree in 2008. He continued his studies in France, perfecting his skills with Eléonore Jost and Leontina Vaduva, then at the Chapelle musicale Reine Elisabeth in Belgium under the direction of Jose Van Dam...
Vladimir Kapshuk - baryton
Vladimir Kapshuk, a Franco-Ukrainian baritone who graduated from the National Academy of Music in Kiev, continued his training at the Paris Opera's Lyric workshop and the Salzburg Festival's Young Singers Project...
Benjamin Laurent - piano
Benjamin Laurent, a versatile French artist, is recognized as a pianist, vocalist, conductor, arranger, composer and actor. A graduate of the Paris and Lyon Conservatoires, he has worked at the Paris Opera Academy and performed in prestigious operas...
