
For nearly 50 years, the Temple of Dendur, an ancient Egyptian monument, has famously made its home at New York City's Metropolitan Museum of Art. The temple is also an inspiration for musicians and dancers who have been invited to perform there. The latest is singer and composer H. Sinno, born and raised in Lebanon. Their opera Westerly Breath had its world premiere at the temple on Friday.
H. Sinno, also known as Hamed Sinno, used to be the lead singer for a groundbreaking indie rock band in Beirut called Mashrou' Leila. Sinno was an out gay person, and the band championed LGBTQ rights and equality in the Middle East and North Africa, within an often hostile climate.