The Abu Dhabi Festival’s programme of international commissions commenced on 27th January, 2019, at the Komische Oper Berlin, Germany, with Giacomo Puccini’s masterpiece, La Bohème.
BERLIN, (Pakistan Point News - 29th Jan, 2019) The Abu Dhabi Festival’s programme of international commissions commenced on 27th January, 2019, at the Komische Oper Berlin, Germany, with Giacomo Puccini’s masterpiece, La Bohème.
Co-produced by the festival, the show was attended by Ali Abdulla Al Ahmed, UAE Ambassador to Germany and Huda I. Alkhamis-Kanoo, founder of the Abu Dhabi Music & Arts Foundation, ADMAF, and Artistic Director of the Abu Dhabi Festival.
Through collaborations with international strategic partners and leading global cultural organisations, the Abu Dhabi Festival enables the creation of cultural initiatives that bring countries together and enables the appreciation of diverse societies. This year’s line-up will include extensive performances across Germany, Spain, the United Kingdom, UK, the United States, US, Canada, France, Germany and Oman.
Puccini’s ingenious interpretation of one of the most moving love stories in the history of musical theatre, La Bohème is a key work of contemporary life in 19th-century Paris, a portrait of life between art, unrequited love and modern isolation in the face of death. It has been directed by Barrie Kosky, under the musical guidance of Jordan de Souza.
Al Ahmed commented, "The cultural cooperation between the Abu Dhabi Festival and its partners from the world's leading cultural institutions for the co-commission of La Bohème."
"Hosting this remarkable re-interpretation of a classic opera in one of the most prestigious venues in Germany, Komische Oper Berlin, reflects the role played by ADMAF in bridging gaps in communication and creating a meaningful dialogue between cultures," he added.
Alkhamis-Kanoo said, "From its very beginning, the Abu Dhabi Festival has always sought to make the arts accessible and relevant to people of all backgrounds and ages. Our co-production with Komische Oper is a perfect example of this approach, for Barrie Kosky has a wonderful reputation for reproducing and re-interpreting classics while keeping true to their original spirit, turning classic works into new and exciting productions."
Ernst Fischer, German Ambassador to the UAE said, "I am delighted that Abu Dhabi Festival co-produced Puccini’s La Bohème together with Komische Oper Berlin. This is a wonderful sign of our friendship and that we do not just talk business and politics, but that we share together the experience of art, music and theatre. A shared appreciation of what moves us as human beings is really the basis of deepening our friendship and partnership in the future."
Susanne Moser, Managing Director of Komische Oper Berlin, said, "Our work at the Komische Oper Berlin, which is in many respects unique and of which we are very proud, has increasingly drawn international attention in recent years. We have been very lucky to cooperate with various prestigious institutions from Europe and all over the world, from Australia via Asia to California. It is a great pleasure that now the Abu Dhabi Festival and its Artistic Director, Huda I. Alkhamis-Kanoo, take such an interest in what we do here in Berlin. We are very thankful that with this cooperation for our new production of La Bohème, we are able to extend our international network and to spread our vision for music theatre even further."
The festival will present iconic Arab musicians at Pierre Boulez Saal, home for Arab music in Europe. Tunisian oud virtuoso, Anouar Brahem, will combine Arabic traditions with the innovative spirit of Jazz when performing Blue Maqams, joined by three masters of their craft: bass player Dave Holland, drummer Nasheet Waits and pianist Django Bates on 13 March 2019. Syrian clarinettist and composer, Kinan Azmeh, will also bring his latest collaboration to the Pierre Boulez Saal, joined by Dima Orsho to present "Berlin: Songs for Days to Come", a journey of music and poetry that explores themes such as home, faith, and friendship on 29th May, 2019.
On the occasion of the Bicentennial and the 20th-anniversary celebrations, the Teatro Real has revived one of the most monumental and emblematic productions of its recent history: AIDA by Giuseppe Verdi.
Composer and conductor Peter Eötvös will be visiting the Reina Sofia school of Music to give his invaluable insight to students from 17th to 23rd June, 2019, as well as conducting works by Mozart, Stravinsky and Beethoven, and his own compositions. These will then be performed by the students during their end-of-year concert at Teatro Real in Madrid, as part of Classics at the festival in the presence of Her Majesty, Reina Sofia.
Returning in 2019 as London’s largest biennial festival of contemporary Arab culture, the Shubbak Festival will include The Tangiers Acrobatic Group, HALKA, a theatrical circus art born of warrior tradition, combining human pyramids, wheels and jumps. It will also incorporate a performance by composer, trumpeter, santoor player and singer, Amir ElSaffar, who will lead an extraordinary ensemble to perform Luminiscencia on 6th July, 2019.
The Abu Dhabi Festival is also supporting Palestinian singer and musician, Omar Kamal, with his new world tour featuring songs from his latest album, which is set for release on 7th March, 2019. The album will be launched as part of the Abu Dhabi Festival Composers’ Platform.
