The programme for 2020’s Abu Dhabi Classics Season has been announced, and art lovers will be thrilled with the Festival’s new one-week long format.
Think you know the Abu Dhabi Classics season? Think again. This year, the programme takes on a new format with the objective to reach even more arts and culture lovers within the emirates and abroad. The week-long programme runs from 28 January to 7 February and welcomes world class classical and symphonic performances from around the world and even a very special appearance of the Bolshoi Ballet.
2020’s line up of performances explores the universal language that is music and, in keeping with 2019’s Year of Tolerance, a common bond between the performances is peace and tolerance. ‘The beauty of Classical music and why it’s so beloved around the world is that it’s not linked to any nation, language, or context’, explains Dr. Ronald Perlwitz, Head of Music, Arts Department, Department of Culture and Tourism — Abu Dhabi. ‘Classical music is taken out of context—time and place—and appreciated for its inherent beauty and universality. You cannot say this about every art form.’
When asked about the season’s highlights, Dr. Perlwitz, cannot possibly pick a favourite performance, but he does mention a particular highlight. The Hamburg Symphony Orchestra will present a special tribute on what will be Ludwig van Beethoven’s 250th birthday. In celebration, the Orchestra will perform the composer’s well known 9th (‘Choral’) Symphony, with soloists and choir.For the unfamiliar, Friedrich Schiller wrote the poem An die Freude (To Joy) in 1785 as a ‘celebration of the brotherhood of man’. After Schiller’s death, the poem provided the words for the choral movement to the piece. ‘The 9th Symphony today still represents the values of humanity, tolerance and friendship’, adds Dr. Perwitz.
The season will also welcome two highlights from the Arabic music world. February will welcome the most famous soprano in the Arabic world, the exceptional Magida El Roumi, and the young and talented Egyptian singer, Sanaa Nabil, who rose to fame through the TV programme ‘Arabs Got Talent’, diversifying the offerings and making the season even more inclusive.
For more information on the Abu Dhabi Classics Season, visit www.abudhabimusic.ae
MARK YOUR CALENDARS!
Here are the highlights:
28 JANUARY
The highly anticipated Abu Dhabi Classics 2020 will commence with David Fray and Friends, as they perform Bach’s Concertos for Two, Three, and Four Pianos with the Geneva Chamber Orchestra.
1 FEBRUARY
French Pianist Lise de la Salle promises to enrapture her audience with her programme, Dances, that reflects a new approach to classical music, exploring dance rhythms from different eras and locales.
6 FEBRUARY
Egyptian singer, Sanaa Nabil, rose to fame through the TV programme ‘Arabs Got Talent’. Sanaa will perform Laylat Saltana accompanied by the group “Cordes Croisées”, formed by elite Egyptian musicians.
4 FEBRUARY, CULTURAL FOUNDATION & 5 FEBRUARY, DU ARENA
Founded in 1957, the Hamburg Symphony Orchestra, one of Hamburg’s three largest orchestras, will perform works by Tchaikovsky and Brahms on 4 February at the Cultural Foundation and Beethoven’s 9th (‘Choral’) Symphony on 5 February at du Arena.
7 FEBRUARY, DU ARENA
Magida El Roumi is celebrated internationally as one of the Arab world’s greatest sopranos. She will bring her takes on Classical Arabic music and modern Arab pop as well as her crystal-clear voice and extraordinary vocal range to the season’s spectacular finale concert.
PRIMA BALLERINAS IN ABU DHABI
Experience the beauty and grace of the prima ballerina Svetlana Zakharova along with a star-studded cast of dancers from the world-renowned Bolshoi Ballet company, during Abu Dhabi Classics 2020 on 31 January! For tickets, please visit Ticketmaster.ae
