Acclaimed Spanish tenor Plácido Domingo will perform at the grand opening of the Dubai Opera House, on August 31.
He heads an eclectic line up of 49 concerts that have been unveiled for the first four months of the historic arts complex based in the heart of Downtown Dubai, in the shadows of Burj Khalifa. The concerts will include orchestral performances, Indian classical music, ballet, flamenco and a magic show. Full dates will be made available by April 24 when all tickets go on sale.
Among the highlights is a performance by Domingo's compatriot José Carreras. The legendary tenor's Dubai stop is part of his final world tour titled A Life in Music. Arabic pop will also be available with Emirati singer Hussein Al Jassmi taking the stage.
The UAE's heritage will be celebrated with a performance of Bizet's opera The Pearl Fishers and the opera classic The Barber of Seville by Rossini will also be staged.
Classical musical lovers should enjoy the Mozart Gala and the Postcards from Vienna by the acclaimed Vienna Concert Verein. Italian violinist and conductor Fabio Biondia will lead the Europa Galante orchestra for a take on Vivaldi's much loved The Four Seasons. More Italian splendour is on offer with Opera Without Words, an evening of the nation's greatest overtures performed by an ensemble from the Trieste based opera house Fondazione Teatro Lirico Giuseppe Verdi.
World music fans should look forward to the UAE return of the sitar virtuoso and Grammy Award winner Anoushka Shankar, while Flamenco superstar Sara Baras will arrive with her new show Voces, Suite Flamenca which pays tribute to six heroes of the dance form.
The Russian State Ballet and Orchestra of Siberia will team up to bring the family ballet Coppelia, while the Imperial Ice Stars will bring their version of The Nutcracker on Ice. The Bejart Ballet Lausanne are also set to make an impression with their productions of Ballet for Life and a Ballet gala evening featuring their rendering of Greek Dances, Piaf and Bolero.
A more experimental affair will be on hand with Slava's Snowshow, by performance artist Slava Polunin. The international renowned production includes enchanting stages that includes a breathtaking blizzar sequence.
The programme forms part of Dubai Opera House’ plans to become the premiere arts hub in the Middle East.
“We are bringing world class performers to Dubai who will appeal to residents and tourists alike, and will help broaden even further the incredible international appeal of Dubai,” said chief executive Jasper Hope, who arrives straight from heading up London’s Royal Albert Hall for the last seven years.
He said further announcements will be made with the venue expecting to host more than 200 concerts in the next 12 months, including rock and pop household names to be revealed in May.
The 2,000-capacity venue is based in the heart of Downtown Dubai, in the shadows of Burj Khalifa, and forms part of what is planned to be a wider Opera District with its details to be revealed soon.
Tickets, priced from Dh200, will go on sale from April 24 from www.dubaiopera.com.
Additional files by Afshan Ahmed
