In collaboration with Mons Arts de la Scène, and with support from Hino Music Festival, Abu Dhabi Festival presents the second performance of Confluence by internationally renowned composers Qoutayba Neaimi and Judith Adler de Oliveira as part of its 19th edition, themed “Crafting the Emirates State of Mind: Creativity, Innovation, and Joy.” The performance follows the debut in November and takes place during the Namur Concert Hall’s inaugural season in Namur, Belgium.
The 60-minute masterwork illustrates a journey from sorrow to hope and reconciliation, beginning with mourning for war victims and ending with a peace and cultural tolerance atonement. The operatic text and musical compositions underscore the tight relationship between the two.
Her Excellency Huda Ibrahim Alkhamis, Founder of the Abu Dhabi Music & Arts Foundation and Founder and Artistic Director of the Abu Dhabi Festival, says, “We must recognize the importance of upholding the values of tolerance and respect while highlighting the key role culture and the arts play in bringing nations together to take a stand against violence and extremism now more than ever.”
“We are happy to continue our support for Confluence, a tremendous overture for peace and tolerance, because peace and cultural understanding are at the heart of the Abu Dhabi Festival. Her Excellency said, “The opera by promising composers Qoutayba Neaimi and Judith Adler de Oliviera brings together Eastern and Western musical traditions to highlight how linguistic barriers can be overcome to heal the sufferings of the human soul.”
The opera features 9 vocalists and 8 musicians from the Middle East and the West, delivering a vivid musical homage to the Middle-Eastern and Western nations’ founding civilizations. It honors their shared roots by fusing the musical colors of Arab and Western cultures, weaving together the timeless sonorities of six languages (Aramaic, Arabic, Hebrew, Latin, French and English).
The 19th edition of Abu Dhabi Festival 2022 is being held under the patronage of Her Highness Sheikha Shamsa bint Hamdan bin Mohammed Al Nahyan, Assistant to His Highness the President of the Authority for Women’s Affairs and Chairperson of the Higher Committee for the Ataya Initiative, with support from its Lead Partner Mubadala Investment Company (Mubadala) and Energy Partner GS Ener.
The 2022 Abu Dhabi Festival is part of the Abu Dhabi Music & Arts Foundation’s commitment to the UAE capital’s designation as a UNESCO City of Music, enhancing its position as a world-class musical hub and incubator of a resilient and sustainable music ecosystem. The Abu Dhabi Festival 2022 will include over 1,000 international artists who will perform over 300 live and digital events. Two globe tours and 17 world debuts will be part of the 19th edition.