On, Friday, January 16, the World Classical Music Series celebrates a significant milestone – a year of bringing quality international performers to the UAE.
The Emirates may not traditionally be known as a hotbed for classical music, but things have improved significantly in recent years – not least with the recent return of the Abu Dhabi Classics after a three-year absence.
A fair portion of the credit can go to the World Classical Music Series, which also celebrates the launch of a new season tomorrow in Dubai.
During the past 12 months, nine significant classical concerts have been hosted at the One&Only Royal Mirage – Friday’s performance from chamber quintet Spirit of Vienna will mark the 10th concert of the series.
The World Classical Music Series was founded as a partnership between the Dubai Concert Committee (which previously hosted monthly events at Dubai Community Theatre & Arts Centre) and promoters M Premiere, best known for hosting international pop gigs.
“In Dubai you can hear pop, rock, trance, thrash – every type of music but classical music,” says Ravshan Abdullayev, M Premiere’s marketing manager. “We decided to make something new and unique in Dubai. People are bored of hearing Madonna and Justin Bieber – they want something more.”
This “new” idea was clearly a good one, with the series selling out all 400 tickets every month.
As the season kicks off, we look at what is in store from the World Classical Music Series in the first part of 2015 – start booking now.
Spirit of Vienna, January 16
The new season opens with the Austrian quintet who are performing under the banner Spirit of Vienna. The group comprises a string quartet augmented by a clarinet, with musicians from the Vienna State Opera Orchestra and the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra.
They are dedicated to keeping alive the school of Viennese classicism that developed in the 18th century and the programme in Dubai will include a complete reading of Mozart's Clarinet Quintet, plus works from Strauss, Lanner, Weber and Ziehrer.
Mikhail Petukhov, March 20
The pianist Mikhail Petukhov’s story is nearly as colourful as his distinguished playing. A child prodigy who began making concert appearances at the age of 10, he later studied at the Moscow Conservatory, where he met the likes of Dmitri Shostakovich, Sviatoslav Richter and Emil Gilels.
But despite winning awards and being a prolific composer, Petukhov was forbidden from performing abroad for much of his early career because of the Soviet Union’s political situation. Now, however, he’s played on many of the world’s stages and performed with the best orchestras. He was even commended by the government as an Honoured Artist of Russia. Expect a genuine virtuoso behind the keys.
Jozsef Lendvay & Friends, April 17
The only act to be invited for a second appearance at the series so far, Hungarian violinist Lendvay is back by public demand. “People were begging for us to bring him again, they were so amazed,” says Abdullayev. “The audience had never heard anything like it.”
What amazed them was his ability to blend gypsy, folk and classical forms so seamlessly, with a highly interactive show that flies in the face of an audience’s expectations of a traditional string recital. His performance is backed by four “friends” who offer a suitably lively accompaniment to his pyrotechnics.
• All shows begin at 8pm at Dubai's One&Only Royal Mirage. Tickets from Dh250 are available on www.platinumlist.ae
