Cbso Looks For Annual Abu Dhabi Show Collaboration With Arabic Artists On The Cards

Next weeks City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestras (CBSO) debut Arabian appearance as part of the Abu Dhabi Classics international concert season could usher in an annual visit to the emirate by the outfit, which is one of the UKs oldest and most prestigious musical institutions, according to its chief executive.

CBSO, founded in 1920 and first conducted by Edward Elgar, will perform two outdoor concerts in Abu Dhabi next week the first on the unique Skyline Stage at the Corniche Breakwater as part of celebrations to mark the citys hosting of the round-the-world Volvo Ocean Race with the second at the historic Al Jahili Fort in the emirates cultural heartland of Al Ain.

We are very aware of Abu Dhabis cultural ambitions and its capacity to deliver, so we jumped at the opportunity to perform there. Birmingham is a very multi-cultural city in England with strong trade links already established with Abu Dhabi and we are constantly looking at ways to branch out to new audiences so we believe this could be an ideal opportunity to start a long-term relationship, said CBSO Chief Executive Stephen Maddock.
Our two concerts will be an ideal way to gauge the possibility of making an annual visit to Abu Dhabi and planning a very structured series of visits enabling us to build an audience and develop trust with them over time. Effectively this is a new market for classical music and we are very enthusiastic about exploring the opportunities presented to us.

Maddock, who was appointed to his current role in 1999, said the orchestras visit could also herald the start of regional partnerships.
During our visit well also look at collaborating with Arabic artists on certain projects and explore different avenues of working together in the future. Were very interested in this area and collaborations with foreign music, musicians and composers help us to bring communities together through our music both at home and abroad. We currently work closely with the Indian sub-continent and I cant see why that cannot be expanded across the Arab world.

The two performances, which are both expected to be sold out, are part of the newly reintroduced Abu Dhabi Classics season, which runs until May and has been brought back to the emirate by Abu Dhabi Tourism & Culture Authority (TCA Abu Dhabi) following a three-year break.
The first concert on Monday 15th December sees the orchestra perform a night of Bruch, Britten and Elgar on the Arabian Gulf alongside Canadian violinist James Ehnes, widely regarded as one of the best violinists of his generation.

The following evening the orchestra will feature extracts from music by legendary Hollywood composer John Williams, responsible for classics such as Star Wars, Superman and ET, and prominent Indian composer A.R. Rahman, who wrote the scores for Taal, Bombay and Lagaan.
Music from the first Star Wars film, originally released in 1977, will be performed by CBSO under the stars in Al Ain at the atmospheric former rulers residence of Al Jahili Fort. The latest chapter in the Star Wars saga, The Force Awakens, was partially filmed in the deserts of Abu Dhabi and is due for release early next year.

Tickets for both concerts are available from www.ticketmaster.ae with prices starting at AED 30 (US$ 8) for students and AED 200 (US$ 55) for adults.