16 30 Sep - 06 Oct 2010 Email editor@abudhabiweek.ae www.abudhabiweek.ae Hitting the high notes Third time, still lucky The third season of Abu Dhabi Classics returns to the capital on 6th October, and the line-up is looking bigger and better than ever. With such an unshakeable reputation, what can we expect this year to further cement the brand? Abu Dhabi Week finds out... When we met last year with Till Janczukowicz, the executive and artistic director of Abu Dhabi Classics, the softly spoken German was confident not only of last year s line-up but of the 2010-11 schedule too, proudly admitting that much of the line-up had already been placed. He s still just as confident as we talk to him this time round and with good reason too. The season will open with the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra Amsterdam and conductor Daniele Gatti making their UAE debut, on Wednesday 6th October at Emirates Palace Auditorium, marking another musical first for the capital. And that s just for starters. What else can music lovers expect? Well, how about the world s foremost cellist, Yo-Yo Ma, not only debuting at Al Ain Classics Festival but also taking part in the educational programme. Or the continuation of the Mahler Symphony Cycle and the Symphonic Masterworks series with Brahms, Tchaikovsky, Strauss and Mozart in the mix. With the third season of the classics focusing on some of the world s finest symphony orchestras, one thing s for sure: this year s schedule is full to the brim with world class talent. Abu Dhabi Classics has quickly progressed since launching in 2008 as the first year-round performing arts series in the Arab world. Launched in 2008 by the Abu Dhabi Authority for Culture and Heritage (ADACH), under the patronage of chairman HE Sheikh Sultan bin Tahnoun Al Nahyan, the series forms a central part of the ambitious cultural vision of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi and is part of a wider strategy to make art, music and culture part of daily life in the UAE. By presenting Abu Dhabi Classics, ADACH does not only enforce international artistic dialogue between different nations and cultures. In addition to glamorous and profound concert events, Abu Dhabi Classics is about a sustainable education programme for the Emirate s young generation, Janczukowicz says. The third Abu Dhabi Classics season continues to present the world s most distinguished symphony orchestras and soloists in concerts at Emirates Palace Auditorium and Al Jahili Fort; access certainly isn t a problem, and tickets for this year s concerts are selling fast. So just how do you plan a Classics schedule to assure ticket sales not just on a local scale, but internationally too? When organising a season, there are three things to consider, explains Janczukowicz. Everything starts with the repertoire Abu Dhabi Classics is about arranging the finest live performances of classical masterworks that form part of the world s cultural heritage. By presenting these concerts in Abu Dhabi and Al Ain, ADACH is building sustainable cultural ground for the country. At Abu Dhabi Classics, orchestras don t only perform an evening concert and leave afterwards. They stay and perform the next morning for Abu Dhabi s school children and everybody who is interested; these performances are free of charge, programmes are shorter, specially designed with a moderator and explanations. And this is the second column of Abu Dhabi Classics: education, he adds. Other Young People s Concerts will be performed by Daniel Barenboim in January and the Teatro la Fenice in April, presenting a morning concert: opera for kids. The third aspect to reflect, Janczukowicz continues, is tourism. Last season attracted hundreds of tourists from around the world, who came to listen to Abu Dhabi Classics concerts. Through the anchor of classical music concerts, Abu Dhabi Classics and Al Ain Classics attract international cultural travellers to visit the UAE. This year again, he adds, there are already numerous international reservations. Considering such factors and organising such international performances is no small Take your seats... 6th October: Symphonic Masterworks Mahler Celebration with the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra (C1) 8pm, Emirates Palace Auditorium 7th October: Young People s Concert Wagner s own favourite: Siegfried Idyll (C2) 11.30am, Emirates Palace Auditorium 9th November: Symphonic Masterworks - Berliner Philharmoniker - Haydn, Brahms and others (C3) 8pm, Emirates Palace Auditorium 28th January 2011: Symphonic Masterworks Daniel Barenboim, conductor and pianist (C4) 8pm, Emirates Palace Auditorium 29th January 2011: Young People s Concert Daniel Barenboim explains and conducts Tchaikovsky (C5) 11am, Emirates Palace Auditorium 3rd March 2011: Symphonic Masterworks Yo-Yo Ma cultural ambassador and the world s leading cellist (CAA1) 8pm, Emirates Palace Auditorium 4th March 2011: Symphonic Masterworks Classical hits at Al Jahili Fort (CAA2) 8pm, Al Jahili Fort, Al Ain 5th March 2011: Yo-Yo Ma Cello Recital at Al Jahili (CAA3) 8pm, Al Jahili Fort, Al Ain 28th April 2011: Young People s Concert - Opera for kids (C6) 11am, Emirates Palace Auditorium 29th April 2011: The Magic of Opera - Rossini Gala: Barbiere di Siviglia (C7) 8pm, Emirates Palace Auditorium 7th May 2011: BBC Last Night of the Season From Broadway to Hollywood (C8) 8pm, Emirates Palace Auditorium Don t miss out! Tickets start from AED 120. Students and children tickets are priced at AED 30. Abu Dhabi Classics tickets are available to purchase by calling toll-free on 800 4669. Alternatively, visit the box office (cash only payments) at Emirates Palace, open one week before each concert from 11am-7pm. For more information, visit www.abudhabiclassics.com

Hitting the high notes feat, yet Janczukowicz appears remarkably calm with a week to go before the opening night arrives. It is all about planning, he explains. When we started Abu Dhabi Classics in 2008, we announced the first season after four months not much time for a programme that you normally put together in two or three years. It was quite, well, very successful, I have to say, he says. The 2010-11 season is the result of three years planning. If you want to present orchestras such as the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra Amsterdam and the Berlin Philharmonic, you must plan two to three years ahead. If you were to call them now and say, when can you come to Abu Dhabi? they would say, the earliest is 2014. So we re not surprised to learn that corner stones for the next three seasons are already scheduled. Of course we always allow for flexibility, but the basic line is to offer the classical and romantic core repertoire. And ADACH has certainly gone for the best for the third season. Amsterdam s Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra continues the Mahler cycle. Launching the composer s double-anniversary season under Italian Maestro Daniele Gatti, the orchestra is featured in the spectacular Fifth Symphony, an emotional roller-coaster that includes the lovely Adagietto for strings and harp, made famous in Visconti s film Death in Venice. Abu Dhabi Classics will also continue its association with the Al Ain Classics, taking place under the patronage of HH Sheikh Abdullah Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, minister of foreign affairs. Highlights include concerts with the Orchestra Sinfonica Nazionale della RAI, one of Italy s leading symphony orchestras. Janczukowicz s personal highlights? The balance of the season: we are simply presenting the essence of the best. Any city New York, London, Paris would be proud of such a season. And a very personal highlight, he adds, is Al Jahili Fort: it s a stunning venue and actually one of my favourite concert venues in the world. Last year s Abu Dhabi Classics ended with the BBC Proms which many people requested again. In order to keep a similar fun spirit, we end the 2010-11 season with a programme titled From Broadway to Hollywood a perfect, light end to a significant season. And beyond the third season? We will continue in the same direction, Janczukowizc smiles, once more with confidence. It s all about quality, vision and the right balance. We quite agree. Charlie Kennedy Email editor@abudhabiweek.ae WIN! 30 Sep - 06 Oct 2010 One of three pairs of VIP tickets to the opening night of the Abu Dhabi Classics 2010-11 season! Abu Dhabi Classics is back for its third season, and kick-starting the highly popular event with a characteristically high-profile event on 6th October at Emirates Palace Auditorium, spotlighting one of the supreme traditions in concert music is the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra performing Gustav Mahler. The evening will open with a much loved (and often conducted) piece by Mahler, the beautiful Siegfried Idyll by his greatest musical influence, Richard Wagner. It s sure to be an unmissable, mesmerising evening of world class talent and you could be there! Abu Dhabi Classics has teamed up with Abu Dhabi Week to offer three lucky readers a pair of VIP tickets to the opening night concert. For your chance to win, just answer the following question correctly: What will the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra perform on 6th October for the Abu Dhabi Classics opening concert? A: Gustav Mahler B: Ludwig Van Beethoven C: Beyoncé How to win: go to www.abudhabiweek.ae/competition, click on the link and fill in the entry form online before 5pm on 4th October 2010. It s that easy! Only one entry per person, please. 17 Al Umraa Medical Centre Plastic & Reconstructinve Surgery Rhinoplasty & Septoplasty (Nose Job) Ear Reconstruction & Correction of prominent ear* Breast reduction & lifting Breast enlargement * Abdominoplasty * Liposuction and treatment of obesity Different Face & Eyelid Surgeries * Hand Surgery & Face lift * Dermabrasion treatment of burn and burn scars* treatment of skin tumors* facial skin care Tattoo and Telanglectasia Removal * Semi Permanent make up. Injections for augmentations & wrinkle removal * IPL (soft lighthair removal) Correction of any deformities* Hair transplantation & transfer Micrograft Technique restore your natural looking hair. Alternative Medicine Traditional Chinese Medicine Acupuncture + Herbal We are doing treatment for Slimming(Obesity), Arthritis, Back pain, Shoulder frozen, Carpel Tunnel Synndrome, Sciatica, Feet Pain,Fatigue, Head Ache, Menstrual Disorders and Sinusitis 579/1/9/24/10/10 Cosmetic Acupuncture and Facial Rejuvination 19182812910 Al Walid Tower Ò Al Ittihad Street, Office: 101 & 2, Near EPPCO Station Sharjah Tel: 06 577 2058 / 050-8689238 / 050-7960930 / 06-5772058 Suit 801 Airport Road, Near Corniche, Union National Bank Building, Abu Dhabi. Tel: 02-6225854, 056-6067638, 050-7960930 www.abudhabiweek.ae