Alexandria to Delos Arabic Choir Concert: Everything You Need to Know

A concert that sells out and most of Sydney still doesn’t know it exists. That is what the Andalus Arabic Choir has built at the Seymour Centre.

The concert takes you on a musical route from Alexandria in Egypt, westward through North Africa and into Andalusian Spain, then eastward across the Mediterranean to the Greek island of Delos. The music is drawn from Arabic, Byzantine, Sufi, and Andalusian traditions, all connected by their shared Eastern Mediterranean roots.

This event is supported by the Arabic Language and Cultures Discipline at the University of Sydney.

Quick Facts at a Glance

Date: Saturday 26 September 2026
Venue: Everest Theatre, Seymour Centre, Chippendale
Doors: 7pm, performance starts 7:30pm
Duration: Approximately 125 minutes, with a 20-minute interval
Tickets: From $54 to $105, only through the Seymour Centre
Recommended for: Ages 5 and above

Ticket Prices and How to Book

Tickets are available exclusively through the Seymour Centre.

Here is the pricing as listed on the official event page.

Ticket Type	Price
A Reserve	$105
A Reserve Group 10+	$95
B Reserve	$80
B Reserve Group 10+	$72
C Reserve	$60
C Reserve Group 10+	$54

An $8 transaction fee applies to online and phone bookings. Booking in person at the Box Office does not incur a transaction fee.

Group pricing kicks in at 10 or more tickets, which makes it worth coordinating with friends or family if you can.

The only authorised ticket seller is the Seymour Centre. If you see tickets listed elsewhere at a markup, they may be invalid. Book directly through the official event page.

Venue and Getting There

The Seymour Centre sits on the corner of City Road and Cleveland Street in Chippendale NSW 2008, on the University of Sydney campus. The Everest Theatre is the centre’s second-largest venue, a versatile music and theatre space with acoustic features designed for optimum sound quality.

For getting there:

Train to Redfern Station, then walk via Ivy Street (approximately 10 minutes).
Bus routes 422, 423, 426, or 428 stop directly outside the Seymour Centre. These run regularly from Circular Quay via Castlereagh Street and Central Station.
Parking on Maze Crescent is limited on event nights. Arriving early is recommended, or use public transport.

Hearing loops are available in the Everest Theatre for specific seating areas. If you have access needs, contact the Seymour Centre Box Office on (02) 7255 1561 when booking so the right seats can be reserved. The Seymour is also a Companion Card affiliate, which means a second ticket for a companion at no cost.

Note that Stage Door is currently unavailable due to building refurbishments. All enquiries go through the Box Office directly.

Who Are the Performers?

Conductor and Artistic Director: Ghada Daher-Elmowy

Ghada Daher-Elmowy founded the Andalus Arabic Choir and has been its conductor and soprano vocalist ever since. She is also an archaeologist, which is not a credential most choir directors carry. Her focus as a performer is on the quarter tone, a microtonal interval used throughout Arabic music that falls precisely between the notes Western-trained ears are used to hearing.

Musical Director: Dr Noel Elmowy (piano)

Dr Noel Elmowy directs the ensemble from the piano and has worked alongside Ghada Daher-Elmowy across the choir’s previous Seymour Centre concerts.

The Ensemble

The full ensemble for Alexandria to Delos includes instruments central to the concert’s regional scope.

Charbel Azzi on oud and electric guitar
Catherine Azzi on cello
Christopher Soulos on bass
Danielle Challita on flute
Mustafa Al Tayar on violin
Phil Nakad on qanun
Stuart van Degraff on wind
Samir Rafraf on drums
Nasser Selimi on tabla
Adem Yilmaz on percussion

The oud is a traditional Arabic instrument with a round back and no frets. The qanun is another Arabic instrument played with small picks on the fingers. Both instruments are important in Arabic classical music and help create the unique sounds of Arabic music.

What Should You Know Before You Go?

Filming, photography, and streaming to social media are strictly prohibited throughout the performance. This is not unusual for live music events at this level, but it is worth knowing in advance so you are not caught off guard.

The concert is recommended for ages five and above. Children under five may not be permitted into the theatre.

Partial lockouts apply, meaning you can enter between songs if you arrive late, but you will not be seated mid-piece. Doors open at 7pm for the 7:30pm start, and the concert runs for approximately 125 minutes including a 20-minute interval.

This Concert Matters Beyond the Music

The Andalus Arabic Choir is a not-for-profit multicultural Australian organisation. Its members include Arabic-speaking Sydneysiders and Australians from other backgrounds who sing in Arabic, using transliterated lyrics where needed.

The music is Arabic, the membership isn’t limited to any one community, and the performances are open to the general Sydney public.

The Alexandria to Delos concert places that work in a historical frame that most Australian audiences have not encountered before. The Mediterranean connections between Egyptian, Greek, Spanish, and Arabic musical cultures are not widely taught or performed here.

A concert like this, with live choral performance, historically grounded instrumentation, and a conductor who has spent years in this repertoire, is rare in Sydney.