The steady hum from a warehouse in Abu Dhabi’s Yas Creative Hub has been growing in line with the anticipation surrounding the debut public performance from the UAE National Orchestra.
The 100-piece ensemble will take the stage of the Emirates Palace Auditorium on Thursday as part of an eclectic and sprawling concert season that will feature 14 performances staged across 10 venues in all seven emirates.
The National pays the orchestra a visit ahead of the opening show, dubbed The Beginning, and the excitement and scale of the production are palpable. Members of the string section are finessing knotty passages, members of the horns are rehearsing in another section, while artistic director Amine Kouider, who will also conduct the opening concert, is actively present on site, ensuring all on stage and behind the scenes were in tune.
Kouider describes The Beginning as the end of a particular journey that began nearly two years ago.
“It is exciting because here we are, finally reaching the first show as part of a process that began in July 2024,” he says. “Before that it was just a project on paper and now it is an amazing reality, and we are so excited about it because this is all one big team effort.”
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