When Peking Opera met Arabic poetry and classical Indian melodies in Oxford last week, it wasn’t just a concert – it was a vibrant love letter to cultural diversity. 🎶✨ The Art Beyond Borders Initiative (ABBI) transformed the historic Holywell Music Room into a stage where traditions spanning continents shook hands through music.
A Symphony of Stories
Audiences traveled sonically from China to India to the Arab world:
Betty Yan’s soaring soprano voice brought ‘A Bird Singing in the Wind’ to life 🇨🇳🎹 – a Chinese art song blending poetic lyricism with piano mastery
Aastha Mohapatra’s ‘Song of Radha’ transported listeners through intricate Raag patterns 🇮🇳🎤
The haunting beauty of Khalil Gibran’s poetry pulsed through ‘Aatini Al Naya Wa Ghanni’ 🎻🇸🇦
Why This Matters
In an era of digital connections but cultural divides, events like ABBI’s concert prove art remains humanity’s universal language. As one audience member tweeted: ‘Tonight, Oxford felt like the center of the world.’ 🌍💫
