Riad: In early September, Versailles wrote an unfamiliar chapter in its long history. The same walls that once carried the sounds of French Royal Court music echoed in a new rhythm this time. In a corridor filled with old European grandeur, the voices and instruments of Saudi Arabian orchestras and choirs declared that the kingdom is now speaking to the world in a new language. It is the language of music.
This was more than a concert. It was a symbolic scene that captured the essence of a growing cultural movement. It changes the image through strings, voices and melody, reflecting the transformation of Saudi Arabia.
More than just an ensemble
Founded under the Music Committee in 2019, the orchestras and choirs were not intended to be merely a musical group. Their mission was big: to create an academic environment for Saudi musicians and to give a global platform to local heritage.
The Marvel Tour has already travelled to Paris, New York, London, Sydney, Tokyo and Mexico City. Not only is Versailles another milestone in Europe's most renowned palace, but a new generation of Saudi musicians stand proudly in front of the world, coming out from within, but with confidence and passion.
The orchestra's first international stop was Paris in 2022, when the Saudi National Orchestra and Choir masterpieces debuted. The tour expanded to Mexico City, New York, London, Sydney and Tokyo, and returned to Japan for a performance in Riyadh in early 2025. In August this year, another Riad concert celebrated the graduation of the first cohort of the Saudi National Orchestra and Choir Music Education Programme after two years of training.
Cultural masterpieces
The tour carved a bridge between Saudi music and global audiences by adapting performances to resonate with each culture. In London, the traditional song “Addayt Fi Marqab” was fused with Adele Medley. In New York, Frank Sinatra's classic “Fly Me To the Moon” was reimagined in an oriental rhythm. In Tokyo, audiences heard the anime themes being played in Arabic.
In a 90-minute performance, at Versailles, the orchestra blended traditional and contemporary Saudi music with folk dances such as Quitty, Majroor and Khutwa. The highlights featured a joint performance alongside Royal Opera Orchestra, led by Maestro Hany Farhat. The next day, conductor Reab Ahmed received the baton, widely celebrated as the youngest and first Saudi maestro, leading the National Orchestra.
Mosaics of over 100 musicians
What makes this project worth noting is its academic foundation, but also its diversity within the ranks. Behind the unified sound stand of over 100 musicians with unique stories.
Some left a totally different career to follow the music. Adwaa Shanan once practiced clinical psychology. Maan Al Yamani was a network engineer, sales consultant Maha Abdullah and pianist Ibrahim Al Rash. For them, joining the choir was a life-changing moment.
Their music preferences are just as diverse. The youngest member, Nawaf Aljizani, admits to listening to rap like most of his generation, but is influenced by his father and loves classical music. Chorister's Fatimah Zahid sparkled in Versailles in a rendition of the French “Les Champs-élysées.” Hataf and Taghred Al-Shahrani prefer old Arabic songs, while Horia leaned towards R&B.
Behind the scenes, each musician carried a different mood and style, but on stage the differences melted into one shared voice. Its diversity, while unobtrusively contradictory, leads orchestras and choirs to their unique identities.
“Our music has dignity and dignity.”
Orchestras and choirs did not choose the easy path to simply carry out existing Western classics. Instead, they placed Saudi music at the heart of their repertoire – icons like Mohammed Abdu and Taral Maddah, as well as folk traditions like Samuli, Majilol and Mizma Yambawi, were reimagined in modern orchestral arrangements.
“Saudi music lies in dignity, dignity and solemnity,” said Yazid Al-Aidi of Qanun. This project preserves this essence while putting it in a classical frame and allows you to listen to Saudi music like in Saudi Arabia. Rather than replacing your identity, it expands reaching a new audience.
Buildings from scratch – but strong buildings
Saudi Arabian soprano Riemaz al Okbi embodies both pride and realism. Trained in opera from an early age, she knows the challenges of pioneering the new cultural age, especially for women in rapidly changing society.
“Studying music from a young age gave me a different perspective to see it as a real profession,” she said. “We are building from scratch in Saudi Arabia, but we are building a strong foundation that is an environment where musicians can live with dignity and a clear future. It is difficult for women, but thank God.
“Concerts are like a feast.”
Between the exhausted rehearsals and the thrill of viewers' applause, an unforgettable moment stands out.
“The best moment is the last day before the trip, where the choir and orchestra came together, and we finally get to see the whole picture,” Hassan al-Mahouzi said. For Nawaf Abdulhadi, joy comes when the choir conquer the difficult phrases perfectly. For Wahib Al-Salem, the performance day itself feels like a holiday. “Concerts are like Eid.”
But when the climax comes to the finale and they bow and hear applause, everyone agrees. As Colister Rose said, “The most beautiful moment is when the stage glows green” – the colour of the Saudi Arabian flag, symbolizing both national pride and collective achievement.
A country that writes the story through music
At a Versailles concert, Saudi Arabian Minister of Culture Badr bin bin bin Fahan said:
The presence of the Saudi National Orchestra and the choir at Versailles was more than performance. It was a symbolic announcement that Saudi Arabia was writing cultural stories in the voices of sons and daughters. Each note testified to the transformation of society into the future without abandoning its roots.
When more than 100 musicians join one voice, they capture the boundaries of individuals and collectives, past and present, local and global blur, and the essence of Saudi vision.
