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Held under the Patronage of His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and the Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, the Abu Dhabi Festival Young Artists’ Day brought the Emirates Palace to life yesterday (Saturday). The sounds of the next generation of performers rang out in a matinee performance of recitals from some of the most talented youngsters of their generation and an evening performance of an original composition, developed with the support of the inspirational cellist and educator Matthew Barley and his ensemble group Between The Notes. An appreciative audience packed full of supportive parents, friends, teachers and music lovers provided encouragement to all who took to the stage.
Aimed at engaging young people in a cross-cultural dialogue through music, the Young Artists’ Day is an annual feature of the Abu Dhabi Festival that nurtures a spirit of excellence and creativity among the schools of Abu Dhabi. Schools participating this year included Al Fajr English School, Cambridge High School, Noah’s Ark Art & Music Institute, Al Dhafra School, Al Yasmina School and Al Khubairat British School, Mohammed Bin Khaled school, American Community School, Beit al Oud School and Lycée Louis Massignon.
The morning performance saw students take to the stage to perform a selection of their own repertoire in the form of individual and group recitals. The evening performance saw invited students specially selected by Matthew Barley to participate in a performance of original work. The students, drawn from 20 different nationalities performed two pieces. The first, ‘In C’, was composed by Terry Reilly. The second piece, an original work, was entitled ‘Dogon opera’. ‘Dogon Opera’ had been devised during a series of workshops led by Matthew and Between The Notes band members Paul Griffiths, Sam Walton, Peter Truin, and Fraser Trainer during workshop sessions last week. Encouraging the students to improvise their own music, the composition was inspired by the traditional songs and music of the UAE’s fishermen.
Returning to Abu Dhabi to participate in the Festival for the fourth year, Matthew Barley said: "I am delighted to be back for another musical adventure in Abu Dhabi. We have already seen the standard of this exceptional group rising year after year, and this has been the best yet - the young players are talented, creative, ready for a challenge and naturally communicative. It is a great symbol for our times to see so many youngsters of different nationalities and backgrounds making music together in harmony and peace."
Founder and Artistic Director of the Abu Dhabi Festival, Her Excellency Mrs. Hoda I Al Khamis Kanoo, said “Young Artists’ Day is always a glorious event in our annual calendar. All performances are special but this day is always special to my heart. It makes me so proud to think of the achievements of the Festival. Matthew Barley and his ensemble of talented musicians, Between The Notes, continue to provide the Festival’s education programme with fantastic support. Education is the cornerstone of the Abu Dhabi Festival. Inspiring the next generation of performers and artists is central to our aim of supporting Abu Dhabi’s development as a thriving regional beacon of culture for all.”
The Abu Dhabi Festival 2011 Young Artists’ Day is made possible thanks to the support of KEPCO (Korea Electric Power Corporation) Team involved in the Braka Nuclear Power Project in the UAE.
The Abu Dhabi Festival, presented by the Abu Dhabi Music & Arts Foundation, runs until the 4th April 2011. For ticket information, please visit www.timeouttickets.ae or visit the Emirates Palace box office. For further information, please visit www.abudhabifestival.ae or telephone 050 907 6158.
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