Damascus, (SANA)- The performances of 'Zanoubia, Queen of Palmyra' started at the Opera Hall of al-Assad House for Culture and Arts in Damascus on Monday night, originally composed by the renowned Italian composer  Tomaso Giovanni Albinoni with the participation of Syrian musicians and singers.

The events will continue till Wednesday as part of 'Damascus: Capital of Arab Culture 2008'.

This concert is performed by 15 players along with a trio headed by the Swiss Chiara Bankini. Tomaso Giovanni Albinoni (1671 - 1751) was born in Venice on June 8, 1671, eldest son of a wealthy paper merchant. At an early age he became proficient as a singer and, more notably, as a violinist, though not being a member of the performers' guild he was unable to play publicly so he turned his hand to composition.

His first opera, Zenobia, regina de Palmireni, was produced in Venice in 1694, coinciding with his first collection of instrumental music, the 12 Sonate à tre, Op.1. Thereafter he divided his attention almost equally between vocal composition (operas, serenatas and cantatas) and instrumental composition (sonatas and concertos).

Ahmad Fathi ZAHRA