Under the patronage of Her Highness Sheikha Shamsa Bint Hamdan Al Nahyan, wife of HH Sheikh Hamdan bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Ruler’s Representative in the Al Dhafra Region, Chairperson of the Emirates Red Crescent (ERC), Assistant to the Chairman of the ERC for Women’s Affairs, and Chairperson of the Higher Committee for Ataya Initiative, the Abu Dhabi Music & Arts Foundation (ADMAF) announced in a press conference the program for the 19th edition of its flagship Abu Dhabi Festival 2022 under the theme ‘Crafting The Emirates State of Mind: Creation, Innovation & Joy’.
More than 1,000 performing artists from around the world will take part in Abu Dhabi’s festival where they will present more than 300 live and digital events.
The programme also features a unique combination of local events set to take place at the Emirates Palace Auditorium, Umm Al Emarat Park and Expo 2020 Dubai, in line with ADMAF’s efforts to enrich the UAE’s cultural vision and further its position as a cultural hub worldwide.
Emirati Ihab Darwish’s world premiere ‘The Abrahamic Symphony: Unity of Three’, to be hosted in October 2022, is expected to be the centerpiece of the festival. The Emirati composer’s new work celebrates the historic opening of the Abrahamic Family House in Abu Dhabi.
Darwish will bring together Grammy- and Academy Award-winning film composer David Shire and one of Hollywood’s most prolific composers, three-time Emmy winner John Debney, with top international composers, musicians and vocal ensembles from Christian, Jewish and Muslim backgrounds.
They will be joined by a line-up of internationally leading singers and choirs, as well as the acclaimed Beethoven Academy Orchestra, led by conductor Diego Navarro. During a press conference to announce details of the festival, Huda I. Alkhamis-Kanoo, Founder of the Abu Dhabi Music & Arts Foundation and Founder and Artistic Director of Abu Dhabi Festival said, “ADMAF has strived to support visionary artists who allow us each year to witness this intricate process. Over the last 25 years, we have been privileged, as an organization, as individuals and as citizens, to be part of a vision that was brought to life by our late founder, Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, who crafted the UAE and shaped our society.