ABU DHABI (ALETIHAD)
Imagine if Antonio Vivaldi had travelled across Arabia.
“Vivaldi: A Journey East” invites audiences to consider what might have unfolded had the Venetian master encountered the instruments, modes and sounds of the region.
A musical dialogue would emerge, as the harpsichord converses with the qanun, and the violin answers the oud, finding shared language.
This is what lovers of classical and Arabian music can expect when the UAE National Orchestra takes the stage at NYUAD’s The Arts Center on Saturday, February 7.
The national orchestra, with its infusion of Arabic and Western musical traditions, successfully traverses the two musical worlds, celebrating cultural connection, and carrying Vivaldi’s genius along the Silk Road.
The 100-member ensemble, led by Music Director Amine Kouider, was established in 2025 and features 70 full-time musicians and 30 choir members representing 30 nationalities.
Following its debut concert, “The Beginning”, which recently toured all seven emirates across the UAE, the orchestra has returned to Abu Dhabi for four performances.
After “Faces of Love” on February 4 at the Cultural Foundation, and “Vivaldi: A Journey East” this weekend, the orchestra is scheduled to perform “Russian Classics” on February 14 at NYUAD’s The Arts Center, and “Echoes of Time: Ibn Arabi” on February 19 at Cultural Foundation Auditorium.