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Muscat Daily

The Rising Stars Concert 2025 showcases varied cultural talent

Over 90 performers participated in The Rising Stars Concert 2025, including young musicians, vocalists and dancers, at Al Bustan Palace hotel auditorium in Muscat on May 17 The Rising Stars Concert 2025, held at Al Bustan Palace hotel auditorium on May 17 was yet another example of the flood of young cultural talent that thrives in Oman, holding great promise for themselves as well as the sultanate in future years. The concert featured more than 90 young performers under the age of 21 and was organised by the Dar Al Atta'a Let's Read Programme and the Play Tunes Institute of Music. H E G V Srinivas, the Indian Ambassador to the Sultanate of Oman, was the guest of honour at the colourful event which showcased the abilities of children in varied genres of music and dance. In view of the astounding success of the event last year as well as this year, Let's Read and Play Tunes have now decided to make this concert an annual event. On the popularity of entries for the concert, Thanae Pachiyannaki, general manager of Play Tunes Institute of Music, said, 'Once the request had gone out to schools and music institutes, the Play Tunes Institute received more than one hundred and ten video auditions online. Due to the enormous amount of talent, it was extremely difficult to choose which acts would participate in the concert. Live auditions were held and, ultimately, more than 90 children were involved in the show. This was the second Rising Stars show and it just seems to be getting bigger and better every year.' Jane Jaffer, founder of the Dar Al Atta'a Let's Read Programme, said, 'The Rising Stars Concert not only gives children an opportunity to showcase their great musical talents and perform in a professional environment, in front of a large audience, it also helps raise funds for the Maktabati Mobile Library Bus. She further said, 'The money raised from the concert will enable Let's Read to buy children's books, in English and Arabic, for the mobile library.' Jane went on to express gratitude to Play Tunes for putting on such a great show, to Al Bustan Palace hotel for hosting the concert, and to the generous sponsors of the event. 'As part of our Community Footprints programme, Al Bustan Palace, a Ritz-Carlton Hotel, was honoured to host the Rising Stars Concert for the second time, supporting the Let's Read Program by Dar Al Atta'a,' Talal Al Hashmi, director of Operations said. 'Rooted in The Ritz-Carlton's founding commitment to being supportive members of our communities. This event reflects our dedication to creating a brighter future for children – a core focus of our Education Pillar. By opening our doors to this inspiring initiative, we helped nurture young musical talent and encourage a love for reading. Through genuine care for our community, we strive to be a catalyst for positive change – making the places where we live, work, and visit better for future generations.' The show was presented by Maya Sultan, a TAISM student, who was the emcee. She said, 'It was exciting to be the emcee for the Rising Stars Concert. This is a great event that fundraises for a cause that is very close to my heart. I remember my 7th birthday, having the Maktabati Mobile Library Bus at my birthday party and asking all the children to donate books to Maktabati instead of buying me a gift. It was one of my favourite birthdays.' Dana Al Balushi, aged 12 years, opened the show, with a fabulous vocal performance. She was accompanied by the Tunes Jazz Band. Dana said, 'I'm so grateful to have the chance to perform in the Rising Stars Concert every year. It's honestly the most special and honourable part of my singing journey. I love being able to share my passion for music on stage, and it means so much to perform alongside so many other talented kids. Every time I step on that stage, I feel inspired to grow and do my best!' Zain Hakim, an accomplished pianist, wrote, 'The second I heard about the Rising Stars Concert, I knew directly that I wanted to be a part of it. So, I worked every day on my song. I just wanted to perform and shine on stage, to be a rising star for a few minutes. It was an amazing experience and for sure I will do it again next year.' One of the star performers, Mariam Ascona, sang an operatic piece from Carmen by the composer, Biset. She said, 'Despite starting my singing career as a classical singer at the age of seven, I didn't think I would be able to perform before a huge crowd, much less in a nerve-wracking setting surrounded by talented students, especially in a style requiring years of practice. Something about this event has taught me something I can never forget – everyone around the world possesses a unique magic in their culture, talent and themselves. Positivity is a strong force.' Safia Mawany, a parent of one of the singers in the Royal Flight School Choir, which performed at the show, said, 'Congratulations for the roaring success of a concert! What talent and what a delight to be part of the audience. Thank you for a wonderful, inspiring evening and feeding the children with ambition and drive to be creative and showcase their talents!' One of the singers in the Royal Flight School Choir, Sariya al Lawati, aged 10 years, said, 'It was a great experience. I loved singing with the Royal Flight School Choir. Next year I hope to sing a duet with my best friend. I am really excited!' Thanae added, 'Another successful year for the Rising Stars. It was an honour to see such young, talented children perform and for them to be given the opportunity to take music as a career. Their passion and hard work was showcased, and I am so glad that Tunes and the Dar Al Atta'a Let's Read Programme gave them the opportunity they deserve to perform.'