Young and seasoned performers were big winners of the Dubai Youth Music Festival.
Held at the Mohammed bin Rashid Library on Thursday, the inaugural event, organised by Dubai Culture, featured performances of original works composed by Emiratis and UAE residents.
An awards ceremony was also held for categories ranging from oud, violin and orchestra to piano and singing.
The winning works, submitted earlier in the month, were judged by a panel of industry experts from Dubai Culture.
Veteran Emirati folk singer Eid Al Faraj, the subject of a biography to be published by the Arabic Language Centre, was honoured as Musical Personality of the Year.
The two-hour ceremony featured more than 70 performances, including solo artists and ensembles.
This was followed by the awards ceremony, where Egyptian artist Nejma Al Koor took home the prize for the Best Singing category; oud player Hussain Nofal and violinist Naram Rashid, both from Syria, were named Best Performer and Best Classical Performer respectively; while Russia’s Victoria Demi picked up the award for Best Piano Performance.
Syrian percussionist Anas Halabi collected the Best Integrated Musical Ensemble award on behalf of his band.
In his address, Saeed Mubarak Kharbash Al Marri, chief executive, arts and literature at Dubai Culture and Arts Authority, praised the winners and highlighted the importance of the festival.
“Music is a civilised way to deepen love between segments of society and enhance rapprochement between them,” he said.
"Through this festival, Dubai Culture affirms its commitment to providing support for creative talents in various artistic and cultural fields, and the opportunities they need to enable them to express their abilities and artistic skills."
Fatma Al Jallaf, acting director of the performing arts department at Dubai Culture, reaffirmed the award aims to introduce new generations of UAE artists to the music industry and to position Dubai as a global hub for creatives.
“The emirate of Dubai has always been — and continues to be — an important destination for musicians and creatives,” she said. “This has contributed to the creation of a sustainable artistic environment capable of developing this sector.”
Inside Dubai's Mohammed bin Rashid Library — in pictures
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The Mohammed bin Rashid Library in Al Jaddaf, Dubai. All photos Chris Whiteoak / The National -
The library is home to more than one million physical and digital books. -
There are lots of toys and play areas for children and people of determination. -
The library's foyer is spacious and inviting. -
There are lots of comfortable spaces to read, study and work. -
There is also an indoor amphitheatre. -
Conference rooms are available for hire, too. -
There is a large collection of scientific and research books from the Arab world and beyond. -
A 1662 first edition 'Atlas Maior' by Joannes Willem Blaeu is on display at the Treasures of the Library exhibition. -
The exhibition features work dating back to the 13th century. -
Library board director Jamal Al Shehhi inspects some of the books in stock. -
Library technician Terry uses robots to retrieve books from the store room and send them, via monorail, to various sections of the library. -
The library's language garden features 60 quotes, printed in different languages, attributed to Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President and Ruler of Dubai. -
Three-year-old Evan reads a book in the library. -
The library's exterior resembles an open book.
