Dates

20-23 March 2025

Location

Dutch National Opera & Ballet, Main Stage

Running time

TBA

Tickets

From € 10

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A Son’s Quest for his Mother

In collaboration with the Amsterdams Andalusisch Orkest and Theater de Meervaart

The Egyptian singer Oum Kalthoum (c. 1900 – 1975) is still a hugely significant figure fifty years after her death. The new music theatre performance OUM combines her influential musical universe with the story Visage retrouvé by the renowned author and director Wajdi Mouawad.

A Son’s Quest for his Mother

In collaboration with the Amsterdams Andalusisch Orkest and Theater de Meervaart

She is the face of classical Arabic music and her popularity in North Africa and the Middle East far outstrips that of even the greatest opera divas and pop stars in the West. The voice of Oum Kalthoum also has a special place in the hearts of many Dutch people with Arab roots. Director Kenza Koutchoukali and composer Bushra El-Turk have drawn inspiration from the music and poetry of Kalthoum’s songs and have joined forces with singers, actors and the musicians of the Amsterdams Andalusisch Orkest to create a production that incorporates the songs in a new musical narrative. Their adaption of the book Visage retrouvé by Wajdi Mouawad forms the basis of this music theatre work, a coming-of-age story about the search for your identity, rediscovering your roots and reconciliation with a mother you thought you had lost.

Performance information

Spoken in English | Sung in Arabic

Composition  Bushra El-Turk

Musical direction  Kanako Abe
Stage direction  Kenza Koutchoukali

Amsterdams Andalusisch Orkest

Order tickets

Youth aged 35 and under can attend this performance for only € 15,00 (including booking fee), regardless of which price category is ordered.

Ticket prices

We provide discounts tailored for certain groups to ensure our performances are accessible to all. Please visit this page to determine if you qualify for a discount.

Price category

Standard

Youth aged 35 and under

1st

€ 48,00

€ 13,00

2nd

€ 41,00

€ 13,00

3rd

€ 31,00

€ 13,00

4th

€ 20,00

€ 13,00

5th

€ 12,00

€ 12,00

6th

€ 10,00

€ 10,00

Dutch National Opera & Ballet uses a system of dynamic pricing. This means that tickets for popular performances may increase in price as the performance date approaches and more tickets are sold. All prices exclude the booking fee (€ 2 per ticket).

Student discount and student alert

Last-minute deal! When a performance isn’t sold out, students can purchase a ticket online for just € 19 on the day of the performance starting from 13:00.

To stay updated on more offers, sign up for our student alert. This way, you’ll be informed in advance about which performances you can attend for just € 19!

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Kenza Koutchoukali

“What I’m looking for is radical empathy”

Director Kenza Koutchoukali talks about her work as an opera maker.

The Amsterdams Andalusisch Orkest

The Amsterdams Andalusisch Orkest

The Amsterdams Andalusisch Orkest (‘Amsterdam Andalusian Orchestra’, AAO) was established in 2011 with the aim of connecting the heritage of Andalusian art and culture to today’s world. The AAO not only reintroduces Andalusian music to Europe, it also combines it with both existing and self-created stories, poems and theatre. The power of the music and associated stories forms an artistic and cultural bond between the past and the present. Performing the distinctive repertoire of Al Andalus both in its own productions and through various partnerships, the AAO has managed to carve out a unique position for itself in Amsterdam’s cultural scene. This season, the orchestra can be heard at Dutch National Opera in the new production OUM.

amsterdamsandalusischorkest.nl

Introduction

An introduction offering background information to enhance your theatre experience will take place 45 minutes before the performance. The introductions, held in Dutch, are free and require no reservation — simply present your ticket. They are held in the Souterrain.