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Parents, teachers and friends packed into the Abu Dhabi Theatre tonight (Saturday) to support young musicians from across the capital for yesterday’s Young Artists’ Day performance as part of the Abu Dhabi Festival. Always a highlight of the Festival’s Education Programme, throughout the day pupils at schools and performing arts centres from across Abu Dhabi took to the the stage of the Abu Dhabi Theatre to perform.
The evening performance began with a rousing delivery of Edvard Grieg’s Holberg Suite for Strings, Op. 40 from members of Carnegie Hall’s Ensemble ACJW and local students including Ashkan Bafti (Al Yasmina), Braxton Rhodes (Abu Dhabi Home Schoolers Association) and Yannick Fries, Nocholas Kohn, Zainab Majid, Veronika Reeves and Zoe Fries from The British School Al Khubairat (BSAK). The final piece of the first half saw the unveiling of a musical work composed by the young musicians on the Theme and Variations of “Zourouni” by the Egyptian composer Sayed Darwish. Under the guidance of the team from the renowned Carnegie Hall’s Ensemble ACJW this piece saw a fusion of western and Arabic styles. Carnegie Hall’s Ensemble ACJW‘s included Angelia Cho on violin, Evan Premo on Double Bass, cellist Julia MacLaine, Gregory DeTurck on Piano and Brenton Caldwell on viola. The Young Artists’ Day evening performance marked the culmination of the Carnegie Hall Music Residency in Abu Dhabi. During the residency, the Carnegie Hall’s Ensemble ACJW led a series of interactive performances and workshops in schools across the capital.
Also on the night Founder and Artistic Director of the Abu Dhabi Festival, Her Excellency Mrs. Hoda I Al Khamis Kanoo was presented with an award in gratitude and appreciation for her cultural leadership of the CUNY Creative Arts Team – UAE University Educational Theatre Partnership by the City University of New York.
After receiving her award Mrs. Kanoo said: “Firstly, I am extremely honored and privileged to receive this award: “Each year I particularly look forward to Young Artists’ Day. It is always a fantastic celebration of Abu Dhabi’s young musical talent and gives us great hope for the future of music in the UAE. We are delighted to welcome our strategic partners, Carnegie Hall’s Ensemble ACJW, as supporters of this year’s Young Artists’ Day. This wonderful ensemble of young musicians has led an inspiring creative exchange with the students who have participated in the programme this year and what they have produced together is remarkable.”
"Last Year we enjoyed hearing and teaching the talented children at the British School, as well as performing with Sarah Al-Qaiwani. The experience with Sarah was particularly meaningful because we were able to connect musically across cultural divides and learn more about Emirati culture through our collaboration. This year we are thrilled to be able to interact with the community directly and hopefully leave a lasting impact”, said Carnegie Hall’s Ensemble ACJW.
The Young Artists’ Day is a key component of the Abu Dhabi Festival’s jam-packed Education Programme. Committed to inspiring children and young people across the UAE to broaden their horizons and realise their talents, the Young Artists’ Day is an annual highlight of the Abu Dhabi Festival. Schools participating in the Young Artists’ Day 2012 include: Al Bateen Secondary School, Al Yasmina School, The British School Al Khubairat, Bait Al Oud, and Abu Dhabi Home Schoolers Association.
For further information and details of the full Abu Dhabi Festival programme, ‘like’ us on Facebook and ‘follow’ us on Twitter or visit www.abudhabifestival.ae
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