Algeria's international philharmonic orchestra gives its first concert at the Algiers Opera
ALGIERS — Algeria's newly created International Philharmonic Orchestra gave its first concert on Saturday evening at the Boualem Bessaïh Opera House in Algiers, in the presence of President Abdelmadjid Tebboune, as part of the commemoration of the 72nd anniversary of the start of the war of liberation on 1 November 1954.
The evening, organized by the Ministry of Culture and the Arts under the theme "Algeria, an immortal symphony", opened with the national anthem. Senior officials, government members and the diplomatic corps attended. The orchestra is directed by Maestro Amine Kouider, who has more than three decades of international experience.
The ensemble was approved by the Council of Ministers on 23 February 2026 and created by presidential decision. According to Culture Minister Malika Bendouda, it brings together Algerian musicians from inside the country and the diaspora with guest musicians from about a dozen countries, among them Cuba, Venezuela, South Africa, Russia, China, Italy, Germany, Egypt and Tunisia.
Bendouda said the orchestra will carry Algerian music abroad while introducing Algerian audiences to the universal repertoire, and will revisit the national musical heritage through a symphonic approach. Tours are planned across the country, including the far south, and in major world capitals.
The minister also set out a wider programme. National conferences are due to look at reforming music education, built around the National Higher Institute of Music, five regional institutes and 17 annexes. The National Algerian Ballet, dissolved in 2016, is to be rebuilt. Three Zenith-type concert halls are planned in Tizi Ouzou, Batna and Oran, along with a large venue in the capital.
The debut thus tied a new cultural project to the memory of the Revolution.
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