Abu Dhabi, UAE: As part of its19th edition held under the theme ‘Crafting the Emirates State of Mind: Creation, Innovation and Joy,’ the Abu Dhabi Festival in collaboration with The Middle East Institute’s Arts and Culture Center, presented a musical concert featuring Syrian world-renowned clarinetist Kinan Azmeh and his quartet, the Kinan Azmeh CityBand, at Wolf Trap, a prestigious performing arts venue in Washington, D.C., here recently
The concert was held in line with ADMAF’s vision and strategy to present the work of Arab musicians and artists on the global stage.
Commenting on the importance of supporting Arab talent abroad, H.E. Huda Alkhamis-Kanoo, Founder of the Abu Dhabi Music & Arts Foundation (ADMAF) and the Artistic Director of Abu Dhabi Festival said: “As part of our ongoing commitment to support Arab musicians abroad, ADMAF is pleased to partner with the Middle East Institute in Washington D.C. to present American audiences with the unique sounds of Syrian gifted virtuoso clarinettist and composer Kinan Azmeh.
“His soulful performance melding Arabic and western traditions at the Wolf Trap reflects the importance of cross-cultural collaborations in fostering dialogue and mutual understanding between communities around the world”.
Azmeh strives to blend classical music, jazz, and the music of his homeland, Syria. The stirring sounds of his clarinet met Kyle Sanna’s guitar, soaring at times over the dynamic and volatile backdrop of John Hadfield’s percussion and Josh Myers’ double bass. Each band member’s diverse background adds a personal flair to the ensemble, resulting in a thoroughly exciting and unforgettable listening experience.
At the heart of Washington, D.C., this concert introduced the audience to Azmeh’s critically renowned compositional music, complemented by his band’s unique take on jazz and classical music from both Eastern and Western traditions.
“His soulful performance melding Arabic and western traditions at the Wolf Trap reflects the importance of cross-cultural collaborations in fostering dialogue and mutual understanding between communities around the world”.
Furthermore, this adds to Azmeh’s brilliant record of solo and orchestral compositions, with the New York Philharmonic, Seattle Symphony, Bavarian Radio Orchestra, West-Eastern Divan Orchestra, Qatar Philharmonic, and Syrian Symphony Orchestra to name a few. Additionally, his works include composing soundtracks for feature films, short movies, and animation.
More details about the concert are available at: https://bit.ly/3EvpeRK. For further information about Abu Dhabi Festival 2022 please visit: https://abudhabifestival.ae/programme-2022/?lang=ar .
The 19th edition of Abu Dhabi Festival 2022 is held under the theme “Crafting an Emirates State of Mind: Creation, Innovation & Joy,” under the patronage of Her Highness Sheikha Shamsa bint Hamdan bin Mohammed Al Nahyan , Assistant to His Highness the President of the Emirates Red Crescent Authority for Women’s Affairs, and Chairperson of the Higher Committee for Ataya Initiative, with support from its lead partner Mubadala Investment Company (Mubadala) and energy partner GS Energy.
The 2022 Abu Dhabi Festival programme is part of the contribution that ADMAF makes to the UAE capital’s designation as a UNESCO City of Music, further bolstering its role as a world leading musical center and incubator of an innovation-based resilient and sustainable music ecosystem. Abu Dhabi Festival 2022 encompasses over 1,000 participating artists from around the world to present more than 300 live and digital events. The 19th edition includes two world tours and 17 world premieres.
*********************************************************************
Readers
These are extraordinary times. All of us have to rely on high-impact, trustworthy journalism. And this is especially true of the Indian Diaspora. Members of the Indian community overseas cannot be fed with inaccurate news.
Pravasi Samwad is a venture that has no shareholders. It is the result of an impassioned initiative of a handful of Indian journalists spread around the world. We have taken the small step forward with the pledge to provide news with accuracy, free from political and commercial influence. Our aim is to keep you, our readers, informed about developments at ‘home’ and across the world that affect you.
Please help us to keep our journalism independent and free.
In these difficult times, to run a news website requires finances. While every contribution, big or small, will makes a difference, we request our readers to put us in touch with advertisers worldwide. It will be a great help.
For more information: pravasisamwad00@gmail.com