A world-renowned American music and performing arts college will open in Abu Dhabi next month in a bid to cultivate local talent.
An agreement to open a Berklee College of Music on Saadiyat Island – to be named Berklee Abu Dhabi – was signed by the college and Department of Culture and Tourism Abu Dhabi on Monday.
Berklee Abu Dhabi will be established in the UAE Pavilion building on the island and deliver workshops, masterclasses, courses, ensembles and labs, and present a number of annual performances.
We are incredibly proud that we can now offer the highest calibre of music and performing arts instruction to the Abu Dhabi community
With the agreement came the announcement of a $5 million (Dh18.4m) fellowship fund, which will offer scholarships for students to pursue degrees in Boston, New York, Valencia or on Berklee Online, attend a summer programme in Boston or Valencia or attend a programme in Abu Dhabi.
The facility spans 4,274 sq m and includes a performance space, recording studio, rehearsal studios, practice rooms, ensemble rooms, a tech lab and office space.
Berklee Abu Dhabi will launch next month, with its first semester running until May.
Programmes offered at the centre aim to serve local and regional students of all ages.
The first semester will include sessions on subjects titled DJing, Turntablism, Songwriting, Music Production, Dance, Contemporary String Techniques, Music Business, Recording and Mixing, the Music of the Middle East, and Creative Entrepreneurship.
Students will receive instruction from the likes of Emmy-winning composer Stephen Webber, acclaimed Palestinian multi-style cellist/composer Naseem Alatrash and Rich Jacques, a Los Angeles-based artist, Grammy-winning producer and composer.
“We are firm advocates of the power of the arts, and the essential role they play in our daily lives and we are incredibly proud that we can now offer the highest calibre of music and performing arts instruction to the Abu Dhabi community, and to those in the region and beyond,” said Mohamed Al Mubarak, chairman of DCT.
“This agreement to launch Berklee Abu Dhabi is an important step in further establishing the emirate as a global hub for culture and education.”
Berklee College of Music, in Boston, is the largest independent college of contemporary music in the world, offering undergraduate and graduate degree programmes at its campuses in the US and Valencia, Spain, and through its distance-learning programme, Berklee Online.
“Together, we will create artistic access and opportunity for young performers in the Middle East and North Africa,” said Berklee president Roger Brown, at the signing on Monday.
“We believe we can have a positive impact on the future of music and dance in the region and around the world.”
Grammy-nominated, Lebanese American singer-songwriter Mayssa Karaa will serve as artistic director while music producer and Grammy-winning engineer Gael Hedding has been appointed director of Berklee Abu Dhabi.
The signing of the agreement was also attended by Sheikh Khalid bin Mohamed, member of Abu Dhabi Executive Council and chairman of Abu Dhabi Executive Office.
Result
2.15pm: Maiden Dh75,000 1,950m; Winner: Majestic Thunder, Tadhg O’Shea (jockey), Satish Seemar (trainer).
2.45pm: Handicap Dh80,000 1,800m; Winner: Tailor’s Row, Royston Ffrench, Salem bin Ghadayer.
3.15pm: Handicap Dh85,000 1,600m; Winner: Native Appeal, Adam McLean, Doug Watson.
3.45pm: Handicap Dh115,000 1,950m; Winner: Conclusion, Antonio Fresu, Musabah Al Muhairi.
4.15pm: Handicap Dh100,000 1,400m; Winner: Pilgrim’s Treasure, Tadhg O’Shea, Satish Seemar.
4.45pm: Maiden Dh75,000 1,400m; Winner: Sanad Libya, Richard Mullen, Satish Seemar.
5.15pm: Handicap Dh90,000 1,000m; Winner: Midlander, Richard Mullen, Satish Seemar
The Saudi Cup race card
1 The Jockey Club Local Handicap (TB) 1,800m (Dirt) $500,000
2 The Riyadh Dirt Sprint (TB) 1,200m (D) $1.500,000
3 The 1351 Turf Sprint 1,351m (Turf) $1,000,000
4 The Saudi Derby (TB) 1600m (D) $800,000
5 The Neom Turf Cup (TB) 2,100m (T) $1,000,000
6 The Obaiya Arabian Classic (PB) 2,000m (D) $1,900,000
7 The Red Sea Turf Handicap (TB) 3,000m (T) $2,500,000
8 The Saudi Cup (TB) 1,800m (D) $20,000,000
Skewed figures
In the village of Mevagissey in southwest England the housing stock has doubled in the last century while the number of residents is half the historic high. The village's Neighbourhood Development Plan states that 26% of homes are holiday retreats. Prices are high, averaging around £300,000, £50,000 more than the Cornish average of £250,000. The local average wage is £15,458.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The story in numbers
18
This is how many recognised sects Lebanon is home to, along with about four million citizens
450,000
More than this many Palestinian refugees are registered with UNRWA in Lebanon, with about 45 per cent of them living in the country’s 12 refugee camps
1.5 million
There are just under 1 million Syrian refugees registered with the UN, although the government puts the figure upwards of 1.5m
73
The percentage of stateless people in Lebanon, who are not of Palestinian origin, born to a Lebanese mother, according to a 2012-2013 study by human rights organisation Frontiers Ruwad Association
18,000
The number of marriages recorded between Lebanese women and foreigners between the years 1995 and 2008, according to a 2009 study backed by the UN Development Programme
77,400
The number of people believed to be affected by the current nationality law, according to the 2009 UN study
4,926
This is how many Lebanese-Palestinian households there were in Lebanon in 2016, according to a census by the Lebanese-Palestinian dialogue committee
Living in...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
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