The Ayoub Sisters, Sarah and Laura, were born in Glasgow, Scotland to Egyptian immigrant parents. Initially, the siblings attended the Douglas Academy music school. Afterwards, Sarah completed her studies at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland (2010-2014) and Laura at the Royal College of Music (2013-2017).
Sarah (cello) and Laura (violin) Ayoub represent a new generation of classically-trained musicians who mix western classical music with other genres and traditions. They attracted the attention of record producer Mark Ronson and the result was a debut album with the British Royal Philharmonic Orchestra titled “The Ayoub Sisters“, released in 2017.
The Ayoub Sisters (Decca) reached number one in the Official Classical Artist Albums Chart in the UK and was nominated for a Classic Brit and Global Award.
The Ayoub sisters have performed across the UK, Europe, Middle East and Asia with highlights including appearances at the Royal Albert Hall, London Palladium, The Cairo Opera House and Dubai Opera.
Sarah and Laura Ayoub have performed as soloists with some of the world’s leading symphony orchestras including collaborations with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Royal Scottish National Orchestra, Royal Liverpool Philharmonic, BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, English National Opera Orchestra and Cairo Symphony Orchestra.
The Sisters have collaborated with Grammy Award-winning a cappella group, The Swingles and have toured with choirmaster Gareth Malone.
Sarah and Laura are recipients of the Arab Women of the Year award in 2019 for their achievements in Cultural Exchange and were also presented with an award by Egypt’s President, Abdel Fattah el-Sisi for their achievements in music.
The sisters are also members of Chineke!, Europe’s first majority black, Asian & ethnically diverse orchestra.
In 2022, the Ayoub Sisters released an album titled “Arabesque” that brilliantly intertwines western classical, Middle Eastern, Celtic, and other musical traditions.
Discography:
The Ayoub Sisters (Decca, 2017)
Arabesque (2022)
Author: Angel Romero
Angel Romero y Ruiz has dedicated his life to musical exploration. His efforts included the creation of two online portals, worldmusiccentral.org and musicasdelmundo.com. In addition, Angel is the co-founder of the Transglobal World Music Chart, a panel of world music DJs and writers that celebrates global sounds. Furthermore, he delved into the record business, producing world music studio albums and compilations. His works have appeared on Alula Records, Ellipsis Arts, Indígena Records and Music of the World.