For the duration of an orchestral recital or concert an audience becomes united. They are united in their mutual appreciation, in their understanding of the story being told, and in their acknowledgement of excellence.
That is because music and more broadly, the arts, have the power and ability to stir the senses, bring people together, trigger the emotions and transcend the boundaries of hearts and minds.
Music is harmony; it is a universal public good that knows no boundaries.
The Abu Dhabi Festival celebrates this spirit in 2011, and the ability of the arts to bring people together over and above geography, culture and language, through the theme ‘Harmony for Humanity'.
‘Harmony for Humanity' is the very essence of what the festival aims to achieve, not just in 2011, but in every cycle. It is in the spirit of ‘Harmony for Humanity' that the Abu Dhabi Festival will welcome Unesco Artists for Peace Maestro Valery Gergiev and the World Orchestra for Peace.
They will perform at the pre-launch concert next week. The orchestra was founded in 1995 by the world-famous celebrated conductor, the late Sir Georg Solti. He too shared the vision of ‘Harmony for Humanity', and was a passionate believer in the power of music as an ambassador for peace that can so elegantly work to build greater understanding among us all.
It is for this reason that the Orchestra has been invited to form and perform in Abu Dhabi.
It is an immense honour for Abu Dhabi to host the Orchestra for its first visit to the Arab world. They are the first major orchestra to receive the honour of being declared ‘Unesco Artists for Peace'.
Unity in diversity
Presenting the concert at the beginning of a new year reinforces the spirit of the gift of music. The World Orchestra for Peace shares a common bond with the cornerstone belief of the Abu Dhabi Festival; that music and culture are unique in their strength to unite and bring people together with a positive energy.
The World Orchestra for Peace is the embodiment of ‘Harmony for Humanity' It brings together the very best orchestral talent from more than 30 countries around the world.
With 76 players from 63 internationally acclaimed orchestras in 31 countries, the World Orchestra for Peace is symbolic of the diverse and multicultural world today. Each participating musician is a world-class performer in their own right — often they are section leaders, or leaders of their own orchestras.
But for the very special occasions when the World Orchestra for Peace comes together, each musician puts aside their individual status, backgrounds and experiences in order to unite with a positive energy.
It is the power of music, and the opportunity to make music together in peace and harmony, that will make this concert, and the Abu Dhabi Festival in 2011, all the more remarkable. It is fitting too that the diversity of the Orchestra mirrors the diversity of Abu Dhabi, where people from a multitude of diverse backgrounds live and work side-by-side in peace and respect.
Above all, bringing world-class performers to Abu Dhabi aims to showcase the heart warming ability of music and the broader field of the arts to bring people together no matter their background, culture, nationality, age or language to create music in ‘Harmony for Humanity'.
This will be a remarkable occasion for Abu Dhabi, and the Abu Dhabi Festival to behold, as the Orchestra performs no more than twice a year and does not exist outside of the very special occasions that call it in to being.
The repertoire that will include Rossini's William Tell Overture and Prokofiev's Symphony No. 1 will be instantaneously recognisable to the audience. Even those encountering classical music for the very first time will enjoy the experience as much as those who are already familiar with its beauty and magnificence.
Music provides a source of inspiration for all and the World Orchestra for Peace, coming together with the Abu Dhabi Festival, will provide the perfect reminder of this as the New Year begins.
It will be a great pleasure to welcome Lady Solti, the wife of the late Sir Georg Solti to Abu Dhabi to share in this momentous occasion, and unite in the spirit of ‘Harmony for Humanity'. It is a sincere and collective hope that through this remarkable event the audience will join together to celebrate the universal joy music brings to the soul — a source of inspiration for all.
Hoda Al Khamis Kanoo is the founder and director of the Abu Dhabi Festival.
