Abu Dhabi Classics announces second season of concerts October 2009 to May 2010
MO 05 OCT 09
New York Philharmonic, Philharmonia of London, Vienna Philharmonic, Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France, Sächsische Staatskapelle Dresden and Mahler Chamber Orchestra to perform in Abu Dhabi and Al Ain.
Opera programme include a Wagner Opera Gala in collaboration with Abu Dhabi Richard Wagner Society, performed by the Bavarian State Orchestra and excerpts from two Verdi operas performed by the Orchestra and Chorus of Teatro La Fenice.
Second Abu Dhabi Classics season expands education programmes and children’s concerts.
The second Abu Dhabi Classics season was announced in Abu Dhabi today by H. E. Mohammed Khalaf Al Mazrouei, Director General of the Abu Dhabi Authority for Culture and Heritage (ADACH), and Abu Dhabi Classics Executive Director Till Janczukowicz. The second season will present classical music concerts in the United Arab Emirates cities of Abu Dhabi and Al Ain focussing on the presentation of core repertoire and expanded music education activities.
Abu Dhabi Classics opens on Friday, October 23 at the Emirates Palace Auditorium in Abu Dhabi and on Saturday, October 24 at the Al Jahili Fort in Al Ain with the New York Philharmonic and Music Director Alan Gilbert making their United Arab Emirates debut. Featuring soloists Emanuel Ax and Frank Peter Zimmermann, the orchestra will perform pieces by Beethoven, Brahms and Mahler. Members of the New York Philharmonic will present a Young People’s Concert in Abu Dhabi on Saturday morning October 24. In addition to the New York Philharmonic, the Philharmonia Orchestra from London and the Vienna Philharmonic will make return visits to the UAE. All three orchestras are taking part in expanded educational activities presented in collaboration with local universities, schools and the Abu Dhabi Classics Academy established in the previous season.
Abu Dhabi Classics is the first year-round performing arts series in the Arab World and was launched last year by the Abu Dhabi Authority for Culture and Heritage under the patronage of H. E. Sheikh Sultan bin Tahnoun Al Nahyan. 35,000 people attended the inaugural season’s concerts and the series was named Abu Dhabi’s Best Festival of 2009 by What’s On magazine. Abu Dhabi Classics events generated 8,000 hotel nights and more than 3,000 local students attended the concerts. The series forms a central part of the ambitious cultural vision of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi and is part of a wider strategy to make art, music and culture part of daily life in the UAE. Besides presenting the classical and romantic core repertoire in atmospheric indoor and outdoor venues, Abu Dhabi Classics is initiating various educational programmes in collaboration with schools, universities and some of the world’s most distinguished music institutions.
Visiting orchestras and artists during the 2009-10 season will include the Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France, Sächsische Staatskapelle, violinists Anne-Sophie Mutter and Frank Peter Zimmermann, pianists Emanuel Ax, Christoph Eschenbach and Kit Armstrong, percussionist Evelyn Glennie, and conductors Lorin Maazel, Seiji Ozawa, Myung-Whun Chung and Jukka-Pekka Saraste. Programme highlights include the continuation of the cycle of Mahler symphonies, the start of a Beethoven symphonic cycle, family events, children’s concerts as well as a Valentine’s Day gala concert. (Full programme details to follow.)
The opera programme includes a Wagner Opera Gala presented by the Bavarian State Orchestra and conductor Thomas Hengelbrock with soloists Petra Lang and Klaus Florian Vogt among others. Venice’s Teatro La Fenice returns to perform one act from Verdi’s Rigoletto and one act from La Traviata with conductor John Fiore and soloists Ramon Vargas, Franco Vassallo, Nino Machaidze and Julia Gertseva.
The partnership between Abu Dhabi Classics and Al Ain Classics, under the patronage of H. H. Sheikh Abdullah Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Minister of Foreign Affairs, continues to expand significantly. Besides the Al Ain Classics Festival in March 2010, Al Ain will host the New York Philharmonic, Coro and Orchestra del Teatro La Fenice, the Mahler Chamber Orchestra under conductor Daniel Harding and the Mozarteum Orchestra Salzburg throughout the course of the upcoming season.
H. E. Sheikh Sultan Bin Tahnoun Al Nahyan, chairman of the Abu Dhabi Authority for Culture and Heritage, said that “the association between Abu Dhabi Classics and Al Ain Classics is of significant strategic importance. Underlining the unique role of the scenic oasis city of Al Ain, this artistic association will assist in creating international visibility for Al Ain, the heritage pearl of the UAE”.
“We are thrilled to once again present a concert season of internationally renowned ensembles and musicians in the United Arab Emirates,” said Mohammed Khalaf Al Mazrouei, Director General of the Abu Dhabi Authority for Culture and Heritage (ADACH). “The first Abu Dhabi Classics season was enthusiastically embraced by audiences and showed that we have a big audience for quality classical music performances.“
ADACH Director of Arts and Culture, Abdullah Al Ameri, pointed out that "... Abu Dhabi Classics represents the determination and persistence of the UAE capital to make art, music and culture part of everyday life, and to become a leading centre in the cultural world.“
Executive Director Till Janczukowicz: “Classical music or a classical composer is not the property of a single nation. Germany does not own Beethoven, France does not own Ravel. All nations have clear responsibilities of safeguarding the traditions of their composers, but at the end, all these geniuses have contributed to a universal language that is understood internationally. This is a great opportunity in a globalised world.” Referring to the mission of Abu Dhabi and Al Ain Classics, he emphasised the importance of the core repertoire: “In order to set substantial ground for a sustainable musical life, it is essential to present the core classical and romantic repertoire performed by the best possible musicians. It is a vital role of Abu Dhabi Classics to expose and promote an honest and deeply human language that goes – as Beethoven said – directly from heart to heart.”
Music lectures, round-table discussions and pre-concert talks will enhance the concerts and give audiences the opportunity to find out more about the music being performed.
For more information about Abu Dhabi Classics, a full schedule, travel information and tickets, visit www.abudhabiclassics.com
