National Youth Orchestra Dubai Secures Third Place at Vienna Music Festival
VIENNA - The National Youth Orchestra Dubai’s Strings Camerata recently concluded a performance tour in Vienna, marking the first time a UAE-based orchestra has played at the Wiener Konzerthaus, the Musikverein, and the ORF RadioKulturhaus.
The ensemble participated in the 18th Summa Cum Laude International Youth Music Festival, an annual event held under the patronage of Austrian President Dr. Alexander Van der Bellen and the Austrian Commission for UNESCO.
Under the musical direction of Jonathan Barrett and Eva Gräsbeck, the Strings Camerata competed against international youth orchestras in the Musikverein’s Golden Hall, where the group placed third. During the festival's opening concert, the orchestra performed the world premiere of "Threads of Light," a composition by Emirati musician Ihab Darwish.
The tour, organized with the support of the Dubai Culture and Arts Authority, included a pedagogical component. Members of the orchestra attended workshops and masterclasses with conductors Saul Zaks and Alexander Grandé, and visited the University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna for sessions at the String Music Lab, conducted in collaboration with the string manufacturer Thomastik-Infeld.
The delegation also visited local institutions, including the Haus der Musik and the Kunsthistorisches Museum, to review historical collections and musical archives.
Photo credits: Government of Dubai Media Office
Alexander Agafiev is former tech contributing writer for Forbes Monaco.
Alexander Agafiev
Vladyslava Garkusha
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