Soprano Carmen Giannattasio Lights Up Coca-Cola Arena at InClassica Music Festival

InClassica 2021 is the biggest and most ambitious music festival to ever take place in the Middle East, welcoming a staggering 37 world-renowned soloists, 7 celebrated orchestras and 12 leading conductors to Dubai for a 30-day celebration of sublime musicianship, world-class performance and international collaboration. InClassica is pleased to present the biggest names in classical music today, featuring performers from Europe, the Middle East, Asia and the Americas, for an unrivalled programme of phenomenal concerts taking place at the Dubai Opera and Coca-Cola Arena. The festival features a range of music from distinguished historical European composers, as well as works from the event’s Composer-in-Residence, Alexey Shor. 

Last night at InClassica

Genius and Faith
Coca-Cola Arena

A concert combining a symphony by one the most important German composers of the 19th century with a ballet by one of the most renowned composers of our time. Carmen Giannattasio was the soloist in Alexey Shor's Crystal Palace Suite, based on the historic figure of Anna Ionnanovna. When the overture was performed during the 40th Gramophone Classical Music Awards Ceremony in London, it was the first time ever that a contemporary composition was included in the festivity. With his Symphony No. 5, Felix Mendelssohn-Bartholdy, baptized in the Lutheran faith, wanted to commemorate the 300th anniversary of the Augsburg Confession, one of the most important documents of Protestant Christianity. Composed in 1830, it was not premiered until 1868 as both an example of Mendelssohn's symphonic genius and an expression of his faith.

Carmen Giannattasio
 - How did you enjoy the performance?  “A lot, and I got very emotional, because this is a kind of rebirth for all of us. I was feeling joy at people attending the concert, and in the penultimate piece — the Vocalise — I really got emotional, I started to cry. It was a mixture of joy, and a memory of what we are living with. This was my first time performing a work by Alexey Shor, I met and I am honoured to meet him. I’m so in love with this piece, I want to introduce it to my repertoire. So, for my next rehearsals I want to include the Vocalise as well.” 
 - How was the experience with the orchestra?  “It’s an amazing orchestra — German orchestras really are amazing. They are used in fabulous German music, so the sound is very rich. I love it, it’s very passionate and very dark, I love it.”
 - How did you enjoy working with the conductor? “You know, we had an immediate empathy. From our first meeting we already knew how to manage to make music together, so it really was a pleasure to make this concert with Francis.” 
 - What has your experience been working with the organisers for this concert? “Everything is just impeccable. Really very good — a very good welcome, very good hotel, I’m enjoying it.”

Michael Francis
 - “How did you enjoy the concert?  “Very much. What I’m looking for as a conductor is to see the musicians engaged and performing with confidence, passion and commitment, and the audience really responding. When those two things happen — as you need both — the conductor is in the middle, helping with the communication, whether with a few words to help people listen or to help the orchestra play at their best, it just works. For me it’s a rare privilege, and tonight it was a great atmosphere and that’s what I’m looking for: I can feel the intensity of the listening and the commitment of the performance, and then the music takes over and my job is done — I just have to shape a few things and that’s it.”
 - What are your reflections on the repertoire from this evening? The programme featured two very different works, from very different composers of course. 
“We’re here and here performing a Maltese composer, and it’s part of a Maltese festival. We’ve happy to perform Alexey’s piece, it's very colourful, very vibrant, and I think the only piece that would fit very well with that would be another ballet. That would work very well with it as well, but I felt there’s no need to do it — sometimes it’s nice to have a completely different first half and second half, and it just gives a variety. Often I try to create programmes that link very well together, sometimes you say, ‘no, two great pieces, one in each half and let them work on their own.”
 - What was your experience in the performance space?  “They’ve done a really good job of turning a 17,000 seat auditorium into what feels like a relatively intimate one, and the sound out there — and I’ve heard it, of course — is very good. I think the organisers have done a very fine job. The musicians can hear themselves, the COVID distancing is always hard. Without that, it’s much easier for us. So that, in many ways, is as big an obstacle as different acoustics. We’re used to playing in different places, but the musicians are consummate professionals, extremely gifted and just make it work.”
- How is everything from an organisational perspective? “Really excellent. I think we’ve all felt very well looked after. Everybody thinks this has been a highly professional, very thoughtful organisation that has really given us a chance to do our best, and I think people have put a lot of thought into what it’s like to be a musician, and they can make our lives comfortable. We feel that and we’re very grateful.” 

Quotes From Those in Attendance: 

“Carmen Giannattasio was amazing! Such an extraordinary talent” — audience member

“Brilliant concert, I really enjoyed it. I don’t really listen to this type of music that much usually so it was nice to get the chance” — audience member

“It was a very nice evening. It was our first time coming to a classical music event and we both really liked it so we’ll definitely be back.” — audience member 

Tonight at InClassica*

Childhood Memories
Coca-Cola Arena

Alexey Shor's Childhood Memories were premiered as a composition for piano solo. In this work, the composer reflects memories from his childhood as well as the daily life with his own children. Andrey Gugnin is the soloist who is going to play the Shor's version for piano and symphonic orchestra that Alexey Shor arranged himself. Michael Francis and the Deutsche Staatsphilharmonie Rheinland-Pfalz confront this version of Shor's Childhood Memories with Igor Stravinsky's The Firebird.

 - Andrey Gugnin (piano)

 - Michael Francis

 - Deutsche Staatsphilharmonie Rheinland-Pfalz

*Full details (including quotes from performers and attendees) will be available tomorrow. For any enquiries regarding tonight’s performance, please contact us.

Organised by the European Foundation for Support of Culture and SAMIT Event Group, the 2021 Edition of the InClassica International Music Festival is currently underway, with daily concerts taking place until the 26th of September. For more information or to book tickets, please visit the official website at inclassica.com.