Yanni to perform Valentine’s Day concert at Abu Dhabi's du Forum

Tickets go on sale at noon on January 16, 2019

Greek composer Yanni has performed in the UAE five times in seven years, with a sixth to come on February 14. Courtesy Flash Entertainment

There are few things more dependable on the UAE concert calendar than a Yanni concert.

The Greek composer, who is largely responsible for making “new age music” more mainstream, has performed five concerts in various emirates in the space of seven years.

Now, he's about to make that six shows, as he's due to perform a Valentine's Day concert at Yas Island's du Forum on February 14, 2019. Ticket prices start from Dh495 and are available from www.ticketmaster.ae and Virgin Megastores across the UAE as of midday on Wednesday, January 16.

'Night of love and tolerance'

Dubbed as a "night of love and tolerance", Yanni's set list will include key selections from a staggering 40 albums, of which sales totalled more than 25 million copies.

His work encompasses a broad range of styles, ranging from world music and jazz to soft rock. On this occasion, we can expect him to perform his new song When Dreams Come True, for the first time in the UAE, as well as other tunes from his Grammy-nominated albums Dare to Dream and In My Time. He'll also be spreading the Valentine's Day love with tracks from his 1992 hit album Romantic Moments.

The 64-year-old will act both as conductor and pianist, and the stage will feature up to half a dozen keyboards. He'll also be accompanied by an orchestra, particularly well known for their eclectic fusion of ethnic sounds.

An indoor venue

Yanni is renowned for performing in landmark locations – from Egypt's pyramids and China's Forbidden City to his upcoming February 8 concert at the Saudi Arabian UNESCO heritage listed city of Al Ula and even Dubai's Burj Khalifa. While the du Forum venue may be less historically significant, it is more intimate and sure to be just as memorable.

Speaking to The National in 2016, before his sold-out show at the same venue, Yanni explained how indoor spaces allow his fans to better enjoy the details of his compositions.

“When you go in an indoor venue, the music sounds better, you have more control of the lights and sound that people hear,” he said.

“It’s a great thing to play to 50,000 or 100,000 people – and a great thing to play in a small venue that’s really lean and clear, where they can touch you and you can touch them.”

Yanni's top tunes

To get you in the mood, here are a few choice tracks to listen to. Let's start with the clasically inspired Aria:

There is also the Middle Eastern vibes of Looking Glass:

The lush and rhythmic Swept Away is also a favourite of live shows:

While the emotional solo One Man's Dreams is known to send the Yanni faithful to tears:

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