A dynamic new season of classical and traditional music featuring world-class performers and orchestras from around the world has been revealed today by Abu Dhabi Tourism & Culture Authority (TCA Abu Dhabi) incorporating Abu Dhabi Classics, the Emirati Music Series, Bait Al Oud Concert Series and Umsiyat.

The diverse programme of events, starting next month and running until May 2017, will be held at leading venues across the emirate and include performances, talks, masterclasses and lectures from some of the leading contemporary musicians from across the world.

H.E Saif Saeed Ghobash, Director General, TCA Abu Dhabi, said: “We are immensely proud of our rich musical heritage and this is reflected in our new Music Programme which has been designed to promote traditional Emirati music and blend it with unforgettable performances from stand-out musicians and orchestras who have reached global audiences. It is important for us to make our Music Programme as inclusive and appealing as possible to all nationalities and ages so they can be inspired by the music they hear in Abu Dhabi.”

Returning for a third consecutive year, Abu Dhabi Classics promises a superb selection of artists and orchestras under the theme of ‘One Thousand and One Nights’ including a concert by the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra – currently regarded as the best and most prestigious orchestra in the world.

The season launches on October 6 with a performance by the West Australian Symphony Orchestra at Emirates Palace Auditorium with a Richard Wagner Gala Night. The orchestra, under the baton of world-renowned conductor Sir Richard Armstrong, is welcomed for the first time to the UAE, and is one of the leading ensembles of the Asia-Pacific region. The orchestra will be accompanied by star tenor Simon O’Neill.

Four days later, the Abu Dhabi Classics season continues with a solo piano recital by virtuoso Helene Grimaud from France.

With her first appearance in the capital, Grimaud will present pieces from her new album, Water, which combines music from nine composers from the 19th and 20th centuries that are linked by transitions that draw various musical cultures together in one performance.

Highlights of the eight-month-long season include the return to Abu Dhabi of award-winning Catalan composer Jordi Savall, accompanied by his ensemble of Arabic and Western musicians Hesperion XXI, with his interpretations of famed traveller Ibn Battuta’s journey from India to China in the 14th Century. In 2014 the Grammy-winner performed the widely acclaimed world premiere of ‘Ibn Battuta: Voyager of Islam’ in the capital, which due to its success was repeated last year. The new performance depicts the continuation of Ibn Battuta’s epic journey.

Other highlights for the season include the return of the Symphony Orchestra of India; and the Orchestre National du Capitole de Toulouse in Abu Dhabi city and Al Ain. Another special night will feature Grammy and Academy Award-nominated composer and pianist, Stephan Moccio, who is considered today one the most prominent names in the music world as he has written and produced some of the biggest pop hits of the last 20 years.

He will perform both his classical and pop music together with an international orchestra of young soloists this December at Emirates Palace.

The new Abu Dhabi Classics programme follows the path set out in previous seasons. The goal remains to explore and understand the multiple artistic relations that have been built between the Arab and the Western world. This year’s theme, 1001 Nights, goes to the core of this question. The Classics season will look at the different aspects of the reception of what can be considered the greatest ever collection of tales.

Not only will the season cover most of the musical pieces inspired by the Arabian Nights, but also, through works like Mozart’s Don Giovanni or some of Wagner’s great operas, Abu Dhabi Classics will look at the different ways folk tales and the famous ‘story within a story’ technique have been integrated in musical dramas. It will be a programme of emotions and dreams deeply rooted in the imagery of the Middle East.

The Umsiyat performances will again take place and starts in January 2017 with open-air performances at Abu Dhabi’s Umm Al Emarat Park held under the patronage of HH Sheikha Shamsa bint Hamdan Al Nahyan.

The Emirati Music Series will include a string of traditional Ayalah performances on Abu Dhabi Corniche as well as oud and voice performances in different locations throughout the Emirate. A full season from Bait Al Oud - the Abu Dhabi-based music institution dedicated to the teaching and learning of the traditional Oud and Qanun instruments - is to be held with a schedule of events to be released soon.

Tickets for the Abu Dhabi Classics performances, as well as Season Tickets, are available from www.ticketmaster.ae.>

For a full calendar of events see www.abudhabiclassics.ae>

For Press: A selection of photos from the upcoming season can be downloaded from: https://we.tl/kCzw3pLBC2>

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