A magnificent new opera house - Dubai Opera - is currently under construction and set to open sometime later this year. This 2,000 seat theatre will showcase opera, theatre, orchestra, exhibitions and other seasonal activities and is envisioned to become the cultural hub of the region.
We have been impressed to learn, however, that there is already an active and talented music scene here in Dubai and we were lucky to be invited to the Dubai Concert Committee's Anniversary Gala Dinner (a sincere thanks, H!, for the invite). Even without a dedicated opera house, the DCC has been active in bringing classical concerts to the region for the past 20 years, using the One & Only Hotel as a venue. Not surprisingly, the hotel offers some unbelievably good acoustics, making a listener (an untrained one, anyway!) almost forget they weren't in a formal concert hall.
The black tie Gala (which required some creative wardrobe pairings since we gave away all of our formal digs when we left Canada!) offered a delicacy of musical performances to accompany the different food courses. Featuring Evgenly Morozovs' Quartet, Soloists of the Moscow Virtuosi Chamber Orchestra and soloist, Felicitas Fuchs, the music built over the course of the evening, crescendoing to almost a sing-along to My Fair Lady's "I Could Have Danced All Night" during dessert.
Dubai never ceases to amaze and this evening was one of those times. It is a night not soon forgotten.
No comments:
Post a Comment