Photo by Geert Vandepoele
PRAED Orchestra! is an experimental large-ensemble project that expands the long-standing collaboration of Lebanese musician Raed Yassin and Swiss musician Paed Conca, founders of the duo PRAED. Rooted in their shared exploration of Arabic popular music, Egyptian shaabi, free jazz, electronics, and improvisation, the orchestra translates the duo’s raw, genre-defying language into a powerful collective format. Blending tightly composed structures with open improvisation, PRAED Orchestra brings together musicians from diverse backgrounds and disciplines, using an eclectic instrumentation that includes winds, strings, percussion, electronics, and voice. The ensemble’s music is marked by microtonal melodies, layered rhythms, and dense textures that draw equally from street-level musical traditions and experimental practices. Through large-scale performances and commissioned works, PRAED Orchestra creates immersive sound worlds that challenge conventional ideas of orchestral music while remaining deeply connected to popular cultural expression.