Canadian Arabic Orchestra, The

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A registered Canadian charity and purveyor of Arabic and World Arts & Culture.

The idea of combining the Western and Eastern musical worlds started in 2009 by Lamees Audeh and Wafa Al Zaghal, who performed as a duo on the piano and the qanun - the two major instruments of both musical cultures. This idea was explored further by creating a fusion of music that combined Western and Eastern musical elements, and much of the music performed by the orchestra now is a continuation and an elaboration on this main idea.

Between 2009 and 2014, more musicians were brought in, and the group became the Canadian Arabic Ensemble. However, due to the fact that an Arabic music ensemble has no Western instruments and is called a “Takht” – whereas Western classical ensembles have numerous names based on the number of instruments used – it was agreed upon to name the ensemble The Canadian Arabic Orchestra (CAO), and to make the number of musicians who wish to join unlimited. In April 2015, the orchestra registered as a not-for-profit organization.

Moving onwards, the CAO obtained charitable status from Revenue Canada in 2021 and has since grown to present more than 50 concerts in Canada, the USA, Europe and, as of 2026, the Middle East.