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Korea Herald
16-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Korea Herald
KNUA Symphony Orchestra to perform at Abu Dhabi Festival
The Korea National University of Arts Symphony Orchestra has been invited to perform at the 2025 Abu Dhabi Festival, one of the Middle East's most prominent performing arts events, according to the country's top art school, also known as K-Arts, Wednesday. The orchestra, composed of students from the university's School of Music will participate in two concerts: a standalone performance Friday and a collaborative gala Sunday, featuring conductor Toufic Maatouk, tenor Javier Camarena and soprano Jessica Pratt. Under the baton of honorary professor and conductor Chung Chi-yong, Friday's concert will open with four orchestral excerpts from 'Princess Bari,' a large-scale ballet score by Korean composer Lee Geon-yong. Based on a Korean folktale, the piece will introduce the sounds of traditional Korean instruments to audiences in the Middle East. The program continues with Brahms' Double Concerto in A minor, performed by violinist Wee Jae-won, the silver medalist at the 2021 George Enescu International Competition, and cellist Park Sang-hyeok, who won third prize at the 2023 Tchaikovsky Competition. The performance concludes with Tchaikovsky's Symphony No. 4. In preparation for this week's concerts in Abu Dhabi of the United Arab Emirates, the KNUA Symphony Orchestra held a preview concert in March and presented the same program Monday at the Lotte Concert Hall in Seoul. Founded in 1993, the KNUA Symphony Orchestra has performed at major venues in Korea and abroad. In 2023, the orchestra was the featured guest ensemble at the Beethoven Easter Festival in Poland. 'This is the first time a Korean university orchestra has been invited to the Abu Dhabi Festival and it is a great honor,' said Lee Kang-ho, dean of the K-Arts School of Music. 'We expect it to be a meaningful opportunity to showcase the excellence of Korea's young classical musicians.' The Abu Dhabi Festival, established in 2004 by the Abu Dhabi Music & Arts Foundation, is one of the Middle East's most prestigious cultural events. Held annually in the UAE capital, the festival showcases a diverse array of performances, exhibitions and educational programs.
Gulf Today
03-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Gulf Today
Abu Dhabi fest to highlight 50 years of UAE-Japan ties
In a remarkable celebration of art and culture, and in alignment with the UAE's 'Year of Community,' Abu Dhabi Festival's 22nd edition highlights over 50 years of diplomatic ties between the UAE and its country of honour, Japan. Running from April 9-29, the festival resumes its headline programmes with an exceptional lineup of global musical talent, featuring legendary percussionists, award-winning pianists, world-renowned orchestras and a spectacular all-star ballet gala, with performances taking place throughout April at New York University Abu Dhabi (NYUAD). This year's Festival features several Arab World premieres, presenting a celebration of artistry and cultural exchange with a diverse programme for everyone. Kodō, a renowned Japanese taiko drumming ensemble with over 7,000 performances in more than 50 countries, will bring their powerful and dynamic performance to this year's festival stage in an exclusive Arab World Premiere on April 8-9, 2025, at 7:30pm at The Red Theater, The Arts Center at NYU Abu Dhabi. The ensemble's mastery of the taiko — a traditional Japanese drum — allows them to explore limitless rhythmic possibilities, continuously pushing the boundaries of this vibrant, living art. Virtuoso pianist Yunchan Lim – a bright star in the world of classical music – is set to take to the Festival stage at NYUAD's Red Theater, playing the gold standard of works, Bach's Goldberg Variations in an Arab World Premiere on April 11, 2025, at 7:30pm. Kuniko Kato, recognised as one of the world's foremost percussion virtuosos, will bring her masterful artistry to Abu Dhabi at The Blue Hall, New York University Abu Dhabi on April 14, 2025, at 7:30pm . The exquisite sibling piano duo Katia and Marielle Labèque will perform an original and innovative musical programme at NYUAD's Red Theater on April 16 at 7:30pm. The Korean National University of Arts Symphony Orchestra (KNUA) are set to make their Arab World Premiere at Abu Dhabi Festival, under the baton of Professor Chung Chi-Yong, one of Korea's most celebrated conductors. KNUA Symphony Orchestra will then return for a second show on April 20, but this time will be joined by star soprano and tenor Jessica Pratt and Javier Camarena, led by the masterful Italian Lebanese conductor Toufic Maatouk. For this unforgettable evening, KNUA Symphony Orchestra will be joined by award-winning violinist Jaewon Wee and the outstanding cellist Sang Hyeok Park, promising a performance of remarkable artistry and virtuosity. The performances will be at the Red Theater at 7:30pm. On April 21, and for the first time in the Arab World, Grammy Award winning violinist Augustin Hadelich will be gracing the Blue Hall at NYUAD at 7:30pm for a masterful performance with works by Bach, Coleridge-Taylor, Ysaÿe and David Lang. Abu Dhabi Festival will present the All-Star Ballet Gala, a spectacular performance at NYUAD's Red Theater at 7:30pm, featuring world-class dancers from the Royal Ballet, Bayerisches Staatsballett, Paris Opera Ballet, and Stuttgart Ballet. In a special performance titled, 'Unique Encounters with Rising Stars,' Vienna Philharmonic concertmaster Yamen Saadi returns to the Festival stage alongside violist Sara Ferrández and cellists Kian Soltani and Pablo Ferrández. They will perform at the Red Theater on April 26, 2025 at 7:30pm. The 22nd edition of Abu Dhabi Festival closes with a special tribute to the late musical legend, Quincy Jones, performed by talented trumpeter, Riley Mulherkar, alongside his band, brass quartet The Westerlies. They will perform at The Black Box, The Arts Center at NYU Abu Dhabi at 7:30pm. Described as 'über hip, modern yet timeless,' Mulherkar's performance will honour the legacy of Quincy Jones, a close friend of the Festival and recipient of the prestigious ADF Award in 2014. As a record producer and composer, Quincy Jones shaped the sound of popular music across multiple genres for more than seven decades.
