The First Lebanese Opera — The Lebanese Singing Troupe Produces the Opera "The Pearl Fishers"

The red curtain rose in the UNESCO hall on the evening of Sunday, April 15 last, on the first Lebanese opera: "The Pearl Fishers" — produced by "Mantoura — Bosselin — Samia Sandri al-Hajj."

The truth is that artistic circles in Lebanon had long looked forward to the formation of a Lebanese opera

troupe, and many doubted our capacity for it — until this select company of young women and young men came forward, headed by the "prima donna" Samia Sandri al-Hajj, Georges Shadarevian, and Pierre Nader, and undertook the boldest venture yet to issue from the artistic world — and produced the first Lebanese opera with great success...

The Woman's Voice, which was the first to call attention to the talents of Miss Hajj, congratulates this artistic troupe on its success, wishing it continued progress and prosperity, and hoping that the government will appreciate their prodigious efforts and not stand toward them in the posture of an applauding spectator... and nothing more!