UAE National Orchestra: The Beginning

The UAENO’s inaugural concert series, the first with its full ensemble of 70 musicians and 30 choir, includes six dates around the Emirates in January. Performances in Abu Dhabi and Dubai will feature the acclaimed Iraqi oud virtuoso Naseer Shamma and the Turkish qanun master Aytaç Doğan in a programme that aims to bring Arabic and Western musical traditions into dialogue, with regional instruments at the heart of the orchestral form. Amine Kouider conducts.

The programme for Abu Dhabi:

Alexander Borodin Prince Igor – Polovtsian Dances (oriental arrangement by Shakir Hassan)
Ercan Saatçi Alisamadim for Qanun and Orchestra
Sezen Aksu Kaybolan Yıllar for Qanun and Orchestra (arr Abdel Aziz Shabakouh: soloist Aytaç Doğan)
Naseer Shamma Ishraq for Oud and Orchestra (arr Qoutayba Neaimi: soloist Naseer Shamma)
Naseer Shamma Journey of Souls for Oud and Qanun (arr Abdel Aziz Shabakouh: soloists Naseer Shamma, oud; Aytaç Doğan, qanun)

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Nadim Tarabay The Beginning, an Emirati Symphony for Orchestra and Choir

Sheikha Alia bint Khalid Al Qassimi, the UAENO’s Managing Director, described The Beginning as “more than a concert. It is a declaration of creative confidence and reflection of the UAE’s belief that culture and music can unite us in pride and possibility … Through these performances, we are sharing a sound that belongs to this country, rooted in heritage, forward-looking in spirit and shaped through a blend of music between the East and West”.

Further performances:

• 17 January Al Ain Municipal Theatre
• 19 January Dubai Opera
• 22 January Fujairah Cultural Centre Theatre
• 24 January Ras Al Khaimah Cultural Centre Theatre
• 29 January Sharjah Performing Arts Academy