The Ayoub Sisters are a multi-instrumental musical duo consisting of siblings Sarah and Laura Ayoub. The duo arrange and perform instrumental versions of well-known pop and classical works. Their debut album was recorded in Abbey Road Studios with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra in partnership with Classic FM and released on Universal's Decca Records in September 2017. [1] [2] Their self-titled album debuted at No. 1 in the Official Classical Artist Albums Charts. [1] [2] [3] The duo's second album Arabesque, a celebration and tribute to music from the Arab world, was independently released and shot to No. 1 in the iTunes Chart and reached the top 10 in the Official Classical Artists Albums Charts. [4] [5]
The duo were brought to public attention when their instrumental cover of "Uptown Funk" was discovered by record producer Mark Ronson. [1] The sisters were invited to Abbey Road Studios by Ronson to produce a cover of the song, which was showcased as part of the BRIT Awards, 2016. [1] [2] In the same year, The Ayoub Sisters made their Royal Albert Hall debut performing as guest soloists with the Royal Scottish National Orchestra. [1] [3] The concert was broadcast on Classic FM Live and as a result, the sisters were offered a record deal with Decca Records. [1] [6]
The Ayoub Sisters were born in Glasgow to Egyptian immigrant parents. [3] The sisters attended the music school of Douglas Academy. Afterwards, Sarah completed her studies at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland (2010–2014) and Laura at the Royal College of Music (2013–2017). [1]
The Ayoub Sisters are advocates for music education and have given masterclasses at the newly launched Benedetti Foundation. [7]
The Ayoub Sisters | |
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Years active | 2015–present |
Members | Sarah Ayoub, Laura Ayoub |
Website | www |
The Ayoub Sisters have performed internationally across the United Kingdom and Middle East, including performances at the Cairo Opera House. [2] [1] The duo have also toured with Choir Master Gareth Malone. [1] The Ayoub Sisters were requested by HM King Charles III to perform at the Honours of Scotland Coronation service in Edinburgh. [8]
The duo made their television debut performing at the 2017 BAFTA's which was held in The Royal Festival Hall. [3] The Ayoub Sisters played at BBC Proms in the Park in Glasgow accompanied by the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra on BBC 1. [9] The duo have also been featured on the BBC Big Sing, Songs of Praise and Sky Arts. [10] [11]
The Ayoub Sisters performed the Egyptian National Anthem at the closing ceremony of the World Youth Forum which was attended by H.E Abdel Fattah el Sisi, the president of the Arab Republic of Egypt. [2]
The Ayoub Sisters are recipients of the World Youth Forum Award and the Arab Woman of the Year Award. [2] The duo's debut album was also nominated for a Classic BRIT Award in 2018. [3]
David Vickerman Bedford was an English composer and musician. He wrote and played both popular and classical music. He was the brother of the conductor Steuart Bedford, the grandson of the composer, painter and author Herbert Bedford and the composer Liza Lehmann, and the son of Leslie Bedford, an inventor, and Lesley Duff, a soprano opera singer.
"Ashokan Farewell" is a musical piece composed by the American folk musician Jay Ungar in 1982. For many years, it served as a goodnight or farewell waltz at the annual Ashokan Fiddle & Dance Camps, run by Ungar and his wife Molly Mason, who gave the tune its name, at the Ashokan Field Campus of SUNY New Paltz in Upstate New York.
"Oh My God" is the debut single of English indie rock band Kaiser Chiefs. It was initially released by the Drowned in Sound label on 17 May 2004, reaching number 66 on the UK Singles Chart. It was re-released on 21 February 2005, two weeks before the release of their debut album, Employment. This time, it peaked at number six on the UK Singles Chart, which earned the band their first top-10 hit as well as their highest-charting single at the time until it was succeeded by UK chart-topper "Ruby" on 25 February 2007. The song also appeared on the soundtrack for the video game Driver: Parallel Lines.
Mark Daniel Ronson is a British-American musician, DJ, and producer. He has won eight Grammy Awards, including Producer of the Year for Amy Winehouse's album Back to Black (2006), as well as two for Record of the Year with her 2006 single "Rehab" and his own 2014 single "Uptown Funk". He has also won an Academy Award for Best Original Song, a Golden Globe and a Grammy Award for co-writing "Shallow" for the film A Star Is Born (2018). Ronson served as lead and executive producer for the soundtrack to the 2023 fantasy comedy film Barbie, on which he also composed and co-wrote several of its songs with his production partner Andrew Wyatt. The soundtrack won three Grammy Awards—"What Was I Made For?" won Song of the Year and Best Song Written for Visual Media, while the parent album won Best Compilation Soundtrack for Visual Media—from 11 nominations, as well as an Academy Award for Best Original Song from two nominations.
Nicola Joy Nadia Benedetti is an Italian-Scottish classical solo violinist and festival director. Her ability was recognised when she was a child, including the award of BBC Young Musician of the Year when she was 16. She works with orchestras in Europe and America as well as with Alexei Grynyuk, her regular pianist. Since 2012, she has played the Gariel Stradivarius violin.
Gavin Sutherland is a conductor, composer/arranger, pianist and musicologist. He is currently Principal Guest Conductor for English National Ballet.
Benjamin Grosvenor is a British classical pianist.
The Heritage Orchestra is a British orchestra founded by Chris Wheeler and Jules Buckley. They perform mainstream, cult, experimental and popular music. The orchestra, which ranges between 25 and 65 members, has performed internationally in venues such as the Sydney Opera House, Emirates Palace, and Hollywood Bowl, and tours throughout the UK to major concert halls and large-scale arenas, including The O2 Arena in London.
Juliette Louise B. Pochin is a Welsh classically trained mezzo-soprano singer, composer/arranger, and record producer. She is known not only for her performances in operas and as a classical recitalist but also for her recordings of operatically styled crossover music. Morgan Pochin Music Productions Ltd, the company she formed with her husband James Morgan, is known for its record productions for artists such as Katherine Jenkins and Alfie Boe, as well as its arrangements for film and television scores.
Anna Howard Meredith is a Scottish composer and performer of electronic and acoustic music. She is a former composer-in-residence with the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra and former PRS/RPS Composer in the House with Sinfonia ViVA.
Esther Yoo is an American violinist.
Aurora Orchestra is a British chamber orchestra, co-founded in 2004 by conductors Nicholas Collon and Robin Ticciati. The orchestra is based in London, where it is Resident Orchestra at Southbank Centre and Resident Ensemble at Kings Place. The orchestra was also previously Associate Orchestra at LSO St Luke's, and performs regularly at other venues including St George's Bristol, the Colyer-Fergusson Hall in Canterbury, and The Apex in Bury St Edmunds. It has developed a particular reputation for creative programming and concert presentation, including pioneering memorised performance as a regular feature of its artistic output. Since its launch in 2005, it has worked with artists ranging from Ian Bostridge, Brett Dean, Anthony Marwood and Sarah Connolly to Edmund de Waal, Wayne McGregor and Björk.
Miloš Karadaglić, sometimes known just by his mononym MILOŠ, is a classical guitarist and Sony Classical recording artist. He was born in Montenegro. He is often credited for leading the way in the classical guitar revival of the past decade.
Noah Stewart is an American operatic tenor. He released his debut album, Noah, in March 2012; it peaked at number 14 on the UK Albums Chart and number 1 on the UK Classical Album Chart.
Jules Buckley is an English conductor, composer, and arranger.
Sean Shibe is a classical and electric guitarist from Edinburgh, Scotland, UK. He is of English and Japanese ancestry. He studied at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland and with Italian guitarist Paolo Pegoraro. His debut album was described as "not just great guitar playing... the best [the jury] had ever heard" by BBC Music Magazine, and "the best solo guitar disc I've heard" by The Arts Desk.
Sheku Kanneh-Mason is a British cellist who won the 2016 BBC Young Musician award. He was the first Black musician to win the competition since its launch in 1978. He played at the wedding of Prince Harry to Meghan Markle on 19 May 2018 under the direction of Christopher Warren-Green. Also performing at the wedding was the traditional choir of St. George's Chapel led by James Vivian and a gospel choir conducted by Karen Gibson named, the Kingdom Choir. As of 2021, Kanneh-Mason plays a Matteo Goffriller cello that was made in 1700.
This is a summary of the year 2019 in British music.
Christian Curnyn is a British conductor, harpsichordist and baroque music specialist.
Isata Kanneh-Mason is a British pianist. She is the sister of and frequent collaborator with cellist Sheku Kanneh-Mason. She has been described as "one of today's most in-demand classical musicians".