New Levant Initiative commissioned Levantine Symphony No. 1 to celebrate the vibrant and shared identity of the Levant. Maalouf describes this musical composition as an ode to the Levant. Built as a hymn of sorts—both delicate and powerful, both Near Eastern and influenced by the West—it seeks to link all of the Levantine cultures in their commonalities and modern spirits. There is a global culture which the Levant recognizes, embraces, and interacts with. And so, this contemporary symphony is rooted both in tradition—in classicism and the values that shape its identity—and in modernity, in the popular cultures of our age that are universal.