Abu Dhabi Festival 2022 presents Confluence, a world premiere in Belgium

Abu Dhabi Festival 2022, in its 19th edition held under the theme “Crafting The Emirates State of Mind: Creation, Innovation, Joy’” presented the world premiere of Confluence by Iraqi-Belgian composer Qoutayba Neaimi and Franco-Portuguese composer Judith Adler de Oliveira, on Friday.

The Abu Dhabi Festival co-production with the Festival des Musiques Sacrées & MARS, with support from Festival Musical du Hainaut, was a moving opera that mourned the victims of war, offered a peaceful atonement and celebrated cultural tolerance. Both the compositions and the libretto in six languages explored the common roots of the Occidental and the Middle Eastern worlds on a musical and a literary level.

The performance took place at ARSONIC Hall in Mons, Belgium. A second performance, coinciding with the inaugural season of Namur Concert Hall, will be presented in Namur, Belgium, on May 6, 2022.

H.E. Huda Ibrahim Alkhamis, Founder of ADMAF and Founder and Artistic Director of Abu Dhabi Festival, said “Peace and cultural understanding are at the heart of Abu Dhabi Festival, and we are proud to support Confluence, a powerful homage to the victims of war and an overture for peace and tolerance. With a libretto sung in six languages, the opera addresses the human soul and overcomes linguistic barriers”.

“In its nearly two decades, Abu Dhabi Festival has sought to extend cultural bridges between civilisations. Promising young composers Qoutayba Al Neaimi and Judith Adler de Oliviera continue those efforts with an intensely beautiful musical work that connects the common roots of Occidental and Oriental traditions”.

With musical compositions and operatic text consistently focusing on the close relations between the musical and literary cultures of the Middle-Eastern and Occidental worlds, the opera featured 9 singers and 8 musicians, both from the Middle East and the West. The vibrant musical homage to the founding civilisations of the Middle-Eastern and Occidental worlds celebrated their common roots, intertwining the timeless sonorities of Aramaic, Arabic, Hebrew, Latin, French and English.

Qoutayba Neaimi, Belgian / Iraqi composer, researcher and specialist in Arab and Western music sciences, said: “This project brings together music and instruments from the Arab and Western worlds to sing the values of tolerance and hospitality, personified by the figure of Abraham. Accompanied by the best world musicians, I have put all my experience in this piece to deliver a carefully crafted musical composition rich in uniquely accurate interpretations.”

The 19th edition of Abu Dhabi Festival 2022 is held under the patronage of Her Highness Sheikha Shamsa Bint Hamdan Al Nahyan and supported by lead partner Mubadala Investment Company (Mubadala) and energy partner GS Energy. Abu Dhabi Festival 2022 encompasses over 1,000 participating artists from around the world to present more than 300 performances and events. The 19th edition will also include two world tours and 17 world premieres.

The 2022 Abu Dhabi Festival programme is part of the contribution that the Abu Dhabi Music & Arts Foundation makes to the UAE capital’s designation as a UNESCO City of Music.

For more information, visit Abu Dhabi Festival’s website, https://bit.ly/2SgFoZ4, and its digital platforms: Facebook (abudhabifestival), Twitter (@abudhabi_fest) and Instagram (@abudhabifestival).