Abu Dhabi Festival 2025 starts with a presentation of the Japan Orange, Feldarmonian Orchestra
Abu Dhabi, February 8 / WAM / I started yesterday in Abu Dhabi under the patronage of Her Highness Sheikha Shamsa bint Hamdan bin Mohammed Al Nahyan, Assistant His Highness the President of the Emirates Red Crescent Authority for Women’s Affairs, the activities of the 22nd Abu Dhabi Festival in its 22nd session, under the slogan “Abu Dhabi: The World in City”, In translation of the 2025 years of the Emirates Declaration for Society, and to celebrate more than 50 years of friendship and diplomatic relations between the United Arab Emirates and Japan, the country is a guest of honor of the festival for this year, in the Emirates Palace in Abu Dhabi.
The opening evening of the festival was launched, in the presence of His Excellency Sheikh Nahyan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, Minister of Tolerance and Coexistence, and the sponsor of the Abu Dhabi Culture and Arts Group, His Excellency Dr. Maitha bint Salem Al Shamsi, Minister of State, His Excellency Hoda Ibrahim Al -Khamis, founder of the Abu Dhabi Culture and Arts Group, founder and technical director of the Abu Dhabi Festival, And His Excellency Kane Occania, Japan’s ambassador to the country.
His Excellency Sheikh Nahyan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, the Abu Dhabi Festival Award, was delivered in honoring the first in the Arab world, to both Japanese Cultural Affairs Commissioner Shunici Toukura, and Japanese architect Recken Yamamoto, who won the Pritzker Award for Architecture for the year 2024, and one of the most prominent international names in this The field, in appreciation of their prominent contributions to the fields of culture and arts, in cooperation with Schubard.
The 22nd Abu Dhabi Festival continues to build on its ancient heritage of exceptional musical performances, with the first historical presentation in the Arab world of the new Feldharmonic Japan Orchestra, led by Maestro Yutaka Sado, along with the global tinur Jonathan Titman, and prominent piano player Kyuhai Surita, in two music evenings On February 7 and 8, 2025; These two prominent events constituted an exceptional start for the distinguished artistic program of the festival, which will attract a group of the most prominent international talents to present impressive performances over the next two months within its activities, where the attendees enjoyed a wonderful set of musical pieces.
His Excellency Dr. Maitha Salem Al Shamsi said that the slogan of the festival for this year, “Abu Dhabi – the world in a city” embodies pluralism and cultural and civilizational diversity of the UAE community, which includes more than 200 nationalities, shares the feelings of human brotherhood with the values of solidarity, harmony and familiarity, and work together in hand to the renaissance of the state and the sustainability of development.
She added that the festival course for this year comes with the UAE’s announcement of the current year of society, embodying the vision of the leadership towards building a coherent and prosperous society, by strengthening ties within families and society, and developing relations between generations, to contribute to creating comprehensive creative spaces that establish the values of cooperation, belonging and common global humanitarian experiences. Especially related to the dialogue of civilizations and the preservation of cultural heritage.
For its part, Hoda Ibrahim Al -Khamis, founder of the Abu Dhabi Group for Culture and Arts, founder and artistic director of the festival, said that the Abu Dhabi Festival embodies the principles of “the year of society” to enhance cultural and societal ties, consolidate joint responsibility in building the country, launching capabilities, talents, and building capacity for a prosperous society and sustainable renaissance.
She added that the festival contributes to building the capabilities of young UAE musicians, strengthening the Emirati attendance globally, and providing the creations of senior music authors from the world, along with the state’s creators as a guest of honor of the festival, to highlight the diversity of its culture and its history.
Japanese architect Recken Yamamoto, who won the 2025 Abu Dhabi Festival Award, participated in a special dialogue symposium within the program “Rawaq Thought – Dialogues of the Abu Dhabi Group for Culture and Arts”, titled “Tomorrow’s Industry: Ricin Yamamoto’s architectural trip”, while the festival organized in the period of 6 to February 8, a series of educational initiatives for school students in cooperation with the new Japan Orthodox Orchestra.
The musicians also visited the Japanese school in Abu Dhabi to participate in the effectiveness of returning to the school, in an interactive meeting that strengthened cultural and cognitive exchange, and one of the students affiliated with the young media leadership program, which is organized by the group, held an exclusive interview with the Toinur star Jonathan Titman, before the start of the opening ceremony of the festival.
Four students enjoyed the opportunity to play alongside Cello Samuel Ericsson and violinist Sohi Berman, and to take advantage of their technical experiences, and the new Japan Orchestra presented the new February on February 7 a special offer at the Emirates Palace, where she played the “Hanna” (flowers) by the author Rentaro Haki, with participation 10 talented musicians from Abu Dhabi Youth Orchestra.
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