Celebrated Finnish orchestra Sibelius Ensemble will be in Al Ain next month to play in the fifth Al Ain Classical Music Festival.
The three-day festival starts on March 2. The Sibelius Ensemble, comprising 10 musicians, is performing works by Mozart, Bach, Rossini and Vivaldi along with a number of contemporary composers. Performances will be held in the courtyard of Al Ain Fort and the ballroom of the InterContinental Resort Hotel.
Announcing the details of the festival at a press conference yesterday, Zaki Nusseibeh, chairman of the music committee, said the event gives fans of European classical music a chance to enjoy a festival that has been designed to promote tourism in Al Ain.
"The previous music festivals were a big success," he said, adding the combination of high-quality classical concerts and the charms of the historical city created a unique atmosphere for music lovers.
Nusseibeh, who is also an adviser to the UAE Presidential Palace, said the festival was being held in cooperation with the Ministry of Information and Culture, Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority, the Embassy of Finland, the Department of Antiquities and Tourism, the Emirates Natural History Group and InterContinental.
Fairuz Villani, a founder member of the Abu Dhabi Concert Committee, said the first concert would be held on March 2 in the InterContinental's ballroom.
"This year's festival brings a special significance to Abu Dhabi's classical music tradition since it coincides with the committee's tenth anniversary," Villani said.
The event includes a series of concerts and rehearsals performed both on stage and out in the open with the aim of forging close interaction between the performers and the public.
Saeed Hamdan, head of the media section at Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority, said the idea behind the festival was to combine classical music with the history of the city.
Sibelius Ensemble was formed in 1980 and made its international debut at the West Berlin Music Festival in 1983. It has become one of the Nordic chamber ensembles most in demand.
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A chamber orchestra much in demand
- The Sibelius Ensemble was established in 1980 and made its international debut at the West Berlin Music Festival in 1983. It has become one of the Scandinavian chamber ensembles most in demand.
- The orchestra, comprising 10 musicians, will be performing concertos and a wide variety of chamber music by such classical maestros as Mozart, Bach, Rossini and Vivaldi.
- The group will also perform works by several contemporary composers.
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