BBC Proms is coming to Dubai Opera in 2017

Proms pianist Benjamin Grosvenor will take the spotlight at the Dubai event. Courtesy of BBC Proms Dubai

The world’s largest classical musical festival is coming to the UAE. The BBC Proms will host six concerts over four days at Dubai Opera in March 2017.

Based primarily at London’s Royal Albert Hall, it marks just the second time the United Kingdom’s premier classical music series has hosted events abroad in its 112-year history, following last year’s BBC Proms Australia.

Taking place from March 21-24, the inaugural BBC Proms Dubai will welcome the BBC Symphony Orchestra and BBC Singers to the UAE for the first time, to perform a programme littered with classics and regional premieres alike.

Dubai Opera’s chief executive Jasper Hope arrived in the UAE straight from seven years helming the Albert Hall — and has clearly put his contact book to good use.

Established as a national landmark, every year the BBC Proms reaches an audience of more than 300,000 people through eight weeks of concerts, held across London and beyond. In a nod to tradition and a bid to boost inclusivity, at Dubai Opera nearly 600 standing — or “promming” — tickets will be on sale for each concert, priced at just Dh50.

And the UAE will send something home to the source, with the BBC Proms Dubai concerts to be recorded for broadcast on BBC Radio 3.

“The BBC Proms is a magical festival which I know extremely well from my time at the Royal Albert Hall,” says Hope. “I’m thrilled that for the first time ever, residents of and visitors to Dubai will be able to enjoy a taste of the world’s greatest classical music festival right here at Dubai Opera.”

The four-day project will mix the core classical repertoire with new music, showcasing works by Emirati-American composer Mohammed Fairouz, Dubai-based British composer Joanna Marsh and Australian-Egyptian composer Joseph Tawadros.

The performance of Fairouz’s tone-poem Pax Universalis will mark the first time a major orchestral work has been presented the composer’s hometown.

“Having written works over the last decade for many major institutions throughout the world, it is deeply gratifying to me on a personal level to see the establishment, growth and quick success of Dubai Opera,” he says.

Proms favourites conductor Edward Gardner and pianist Benjamin Grosvenor will take the spotlight, while James Burton leads the BBC Singers in two a cappella programmes.

The run will close with the traditional Last Night of the Proms spectacle, featuring crowd-pleasing favourites such as Henry Wood's Fantasia on British Sea-Songs, Thomas Arne's Rule, Britannia! and Edward Elgar's Pomp and Circumstance March No. 1.

Next year has also been announced as the UK/UAE 2017 Year of Cultural Collaboration, led by the British Council, and in the spirit of cooperation a learning programme of workshops, masterclasses and open rehearsals will also take place during the four days. This includes a workshop for the Arabian Youth Orchestra with players from the BBC Symphony Orchestra, workshops for local adult and children’s choirs with the BBC Singers and a masterclass for chamber musicians at the Centre for Musical Arts in Dubai.

BBC Proms director David Pickard added: “Through this series of concerts and learning events we hope to give the audience an idea of what the Proms are all about, making classical music accessible through quality music-making, outreach work, affordable ticket prices and broadcasts”.

Tickets will be available from Thursday November 3 from www.dubaiopera.com​