Amira Fouad enthrals hotel guests at Encore!

Classical pianist Amira Fouad received a warm round of applause after an enchanting evening of Mozart, Chopin and Liszt, as well as modern works  at the debut of The St Regis Doha’s Encore! concert series. The sold-out performance took place in the elegant setting of the hotel lobby which was turned into a concert hall for the occasion, and was followed by refreshments and canapés. Encore! is a new concert series curated by Qatar Music & Arts, an initiative supported by Qanas Productions, and held in partnership with Steinway Piano Gallery Qatar, which will bring some of the world’s most distinguished musicians to play a series of concerts at The St Regis Doha. Among the audience at last weekend’s event were distinguished guests, including ambassadors Michael O’Neill of Britain, Jean-Christophe Peaucelle (France) and his wife Veronique Peaucelle and Martin Aeschbacher (Switzerland). In addition, The St Regis Doha welcomed a number of students from Qatar Music Academy, who had the chance to hear a diverse repertoire of music played on a Steinway Model D piano. One of the aims of The St Regis Doha’s music programme is to offer opportunities for young people in Qatar to enjoy a diverse range of performances, both through the Encore! series, and the planned community initiatives of the Jazz at Lincoln Centre Doha, which is set to open later in the year. “We’re very pleased with the reception to this first event in the Encore! series,” said Tareq Derbas, general manager of The St Regis Doha. “Amira Fouad’s wonderful performance set a very high standard for our future concerts, and we’re looking forward to hosting more events at The St Regis Doha over the coming months.” As well as being the first artist to perform at hotel, Fouad is also the creator of the Qatar Music & Arts initiative, which is supported by Qanas Productions. In her career as a concert pianist, she has toured North America, Europe and the Far East and Middle East.