Performing with Maalouf this evening is the Free Spirit Symphony Orchestra conducted by Michael Rossi, the National Children's Chorus, and the pianist Ji. The New Levant Initiative commissioned Levantine Symphony N°1 to celebrate the vibrant and shared identity of the Levant. Maalouf describes this musical composition as an ode to the Levant. With his new work, Maalouf weaves together the threads that bind the people of the Levant together not only in music and poetry, but also in a shared collective identity and memory, with the hope that a progressive and integrated new Levant will thrive once again.