Sarah and Laura Ayoub known together as ‘The Ayoub Sisters’ are instrumentalists and composers from Scotland/Egypt. Their debut album reached No.1 in the Official Classical Charts. The sisters bring together the classical tradition with world music for a truly thrilling sound.
Classical Crossover Magazine (CCM): When did you first start playing together?
Ayoub Sisters: We’ve been playing together for as long as we can remember! Both of us would play piano and violin duets as children at home for family concerts but it wasn’t until 2014 that we actively began pursuing a professional career as “The Ayoub Sisters”.
CCM: Do you feel that having another musically gifted sibling helped to keep you motivated?
Ayoub Sisters: Absolutely! Having another musician in the house is not only a motivator but a comfort, not to mention the obvious – it’s so much fun in terms of collaboration and this is how our duo and musical relationship started – from a very young age.
CCM: What have been some of the most exhilarating experiences you have had onstage?
Ayoub Sisters: We have been so fortunate to have performed around the world. However, one of the most exhilarating experiences for us has to be making our Royal Albert Hall debut back in 2016. It’s an iconic venue and as good as it gets for a classical musician.
CCM: Throughout the years you must have had many different instruments. Can you tell us a bit about any special ones and the cello and violin you currently use?
Sarah Ayoub: My cello actually comes with a funny story… I had been looking for an instrument to buy for many months and ended up falling in love with a cello whilst on a family holiday in Salzburg! It ended up being an “impulse” buy and required a degree of creativity to buy and ship it back to the UK at the end of our trip. I’ve been playing on it ever since.
Laura Ayoub: I am so lucky to be playing on a J.Gagliano from 1810 kindly loaned to me by Florian Leonhard. I’ve had the instrument for five years and am eternally grateful for Florian’s support in lending me this instrument.
CCM: What are some of the important things you like to emphasize in your work as a duo?
Ayoub Sisters: Our music incorporates quite an eclectic mix of styles and genres and by translating these on our instruments, we’ve challenged the stereotype of what a cello and violin can do and who they can appeal to. Breaking down musical and cultural boundaries as well as showing our love for music is one of the main motivators behind our music-making.
CCM: Tell us about the concept and repertoire of Arabesque?
Ayoub Sisters: We are very proud of our Egyptian background and felt it was the right time to pay homage to and celebrate our heritage. Arabesque was our opportunity to explore folk music from across the Arab world as well as compose music inspired by our travels to the Middle East. The album was recorded for solo violin/cello, string orchestra, Eastern Percussion, and special guests. We hope that Arabesque will act as a warm welcome to this wonderful music and culture.
CCM: Do you each have a favorite composer or piece of music to play?
Ayoub Sisters: We love listening to different genres all the time depending on our mood. When it comes to classical music, it’s a near impossible task to name a favourite composer but we do both have extremely fond memories of playing Shostakovich in youth orchestra. We have definitely been inspired by his musical language when writing our own orchestrations.
CCM: Can you tell us a little bit about the filming of your new music video “El Helwa Di”?
Ayoub Sisters: It has been a dream of ours for a very long time to film a music video in Egypt and to capture everything we love about the country in one video. We were so lucky to collaborate with a stellar Egyptian team for the music video for “El Helwa Di” and after months of planning, we headed to the western desert, El Fayoum, to capture the beautifully serene desert landscape, followed by a full day in downtown Cairo to showcase the exciting hustle and bustle of the city. There were some crazy early starts, very long days, and naturally a bit of chaos along the way… but it was one of the most special experiences that we will cherish forever, not to mention the music video is one of our absolute favourites and we are so proud of the result.
CCM: What is the best part about working with your sister?
Ayoub Sisters: Complete and utter trust. From the running of the business to the musical connection we have on stage. It’s such a special and unique bond that we share that enables us to be free and love what we do, together.
CCM: Describe each other in one word.
Ayoub Sisters: Ying/Yang
