Olivia Olarte
ABU DHABI - Classical music, theatre, performing arts, jazz, ballet and fine arts, catering to all ages, will be on showcase for the ninth edition of the Abu Dhabi Festival which will run from March 11 to April 6.
Under the theme ‘Connecting Cultures’, the festival will see participation from 18 countries, including the UK, which was given the Country of Honour this year.
During its launch on Monday, Hoda Al Khamis Kanoo, founder of the Abu Dhabi Music and Arts Foundation (ADMAF) and artistic director of the Abu Dhabi Festival, noted the collaboration with the UK’s Royal Opera House, Manchester International Festival and Edinburgh International Festival, and seven events, which will be held for the first time in the Arab world. “What makes this edition ... particularly special is that it will not only enable us to look forward to a future filled with unlimited creative possibilities, but it will also help us look back and learn from the lessons of the past. This March, we shall pay homage to the golden age of Arab cultural expression that stretched from Andalucía to China,” said Kanoo.
“The Abu Dhabi Festival 2012 shall shine the spotlight in the talents of a wide range of artists and musicians, including Anwar Abudragh and the Maqamat Ensemble, Goksel Bagatir and the UAE’s very own Faisal Al Sari,” she added.
Highlights of the festival include sitar player Anoushka Shankar who will be performing from her latest album and world tour ‘Traveller’; oud master Nasser Shamma who will be teaming up with the Global Music Ensemble, musicians from Italy, the US, Greece and Colombia.
The festival will also host the screening of Wagner’s Ring Cycle over two weekends, starring Bryn Terfel (Wotan), Deborah Voigt (Brünnhilde) and Jonas Kaufmann (Siegmund).
Building on the successful introduction of contemporary dance to the festival last year, ‘Sutra’ with the monks from the Shaolin Temple is a stunning blend of Kung Fu, Tai Chi and contemporary dance brought to Abu Dhabi through Sadler’s Wells theatre in London.
Dresden’s famous Semperoper Ballet will also team up with NDR Radiophilharmonie (Hannover) to perform ‘La Bayadère’. The Royal Opera House’ production of ‘Beloved Friend’ is set to the music of Tchaikovsky and includes dancers from the Royal Ballet and is an Arab World Premiere.
Jazz will make its popular return to the festival with nine-time Grammy award-winning singer, songwriter and performer Natalie Cole. Daughter of the jazz legend Nat King Cole, she will make her Middle East debut in Abu Dhabi in an evening titled ‘Natalie Cole in Concert’. Fadel Shaker’s ‘A Night of Legends’ will feature a selection of songs and music closest to his heart.
Also at the festival is a special programme from Scottish Opera’s BabyO, offering babies from six months to two years an unforgettable musical experience by seamlessly combining recorded music with live singing.
Tickets for the festival can be purchased at www.timeoutickets.com/abudhabifestival.
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