The UAE capital is ready to seal its status as a musical hub.
Abu Dhabi Tourism and Culture Authority (TCA Abu Dhabi) has announced a new eight-month music programme to draw Arab and Western classical musicians from around the globe.
The bonanza includes Abu Dhabi Classics, from October to May 2018; Umsiyat in January; a Bait Al Oud Concert Series and the Emirati Music Series (both year-round music programmes).
Abu Dhabi Classics, which kicks of on October 12, begins with a concert by the Lucerne Symphony Orchestra, from Switzerland, in Al Jahili Fort (Al Ain). The following night, the orchestra will play Rossini, Rachmaninoff and Brahms in Abu Dhabi. Both nights will feature US piano maestro Nicholas Angelich.
The Emirati Music Series’ highlights are a performance by Emirati singer Ahmad Al Hosani on Delma Island in December and a concert featuring Faisal Al Saari at Manarat Al Saadiyat that will see Emirati singers and musicians perform the poems of Shaikh Zayed to mark 2018 as the Year of Shaikh Zayed.
Musical academy Bait Al Oud will play a concert at Qasr Al Muwaiji in Al Ain this December.
A new series of Umsiyat begins in January 2018 with a programme of outdoor performances combining spiritual music and poetry which celebrate heritage.
Besides the concerts, there will be workshops, masterclasses and talks around Abu Dhabi.
Saif Saeed Ghobash, director general of TCA Abu Dhabi, said: “Music has played an essential role in Emirati life for centuries, binding people together and leaving a legacy that we have a duty to preserve long into the future.
“We aim to inspire the younger generation and show that music is a universal language. Our music programme will invite leading Emirati artists and world-class orchestras to Abu Dhabi and will underline the emirate’s status as an international destination for culture and arts.”
