The Department of Culture and Tourism - Abu Dhabi Celebrates Opening of Berklee Abu Dhabi - Department of Culture and Tourism Abu Dhabi

The Department of Culture and Tourism - Abu Dhabi Celebrates Opening of Berklee Abu Dhabi

01 Mar, 2020

The Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi (DCT Abu Dhabi) celebrated the opening of Berklee Abu Dhabi with a star-studded public concert on February 29th in the presence of a host of VIP guests and dignitaries.

The centre, the result of a partnership between Berklee College of Music, the internationally renowned institute of contemporary music and the performing arts, and DCT Abu Dhabi, offers workshops, masterclasses, courses and private instruction for those wishing to develop their creativity or take their talent to the next level.

The opening concert was attended by HE Noura Al Kaabi, Minister of Culture and Knowledge Development, HE Dr. Mugheer Khamis Al Khaili, Chairman of Department of Community Development and by Saood Al Hosani, Acting Undersecretary at DCT Abu Dhabi.

Taking place at Berklee Abu Dhabi’s newly renovated premises at the Norman Foster-designed UAE Pavilion building, next to Manarat Al Saadiyat in the Saadiyat Cultural District, the concert, entitled ‘Mishwar’, was designed as a unique East-West musical journey and featured the pioneer of progressive rock Steve Vai, classic Arabic compositions with western sensibilities from Mayssa Karaa, contemporary music genres blended with the rich music of India from Shor Police and music from the American popular songbook showcasing rhythm, soul, gospel and blues with Annette Philip, Stephen Webber and Robert Gould. In addition to inviting Vai to perform at the opening concert, Berklee Abu Dhabi also named one of the facility’s classrooms after the guitar superstar.

“This concert is to celebrate the opening of the first Middle East outpost of Berklee College of Music, the preeminent institute of contemporary music and the performing arts and Berklee Abu Dhabi perfectly represents our shared mission to transform arts education and support and empower artists to better our world,” said HE Saood Al Hosani. “This harmonious partnership will be mutually beneficial for Abu Dhabi and Berklee College of Music and we are looking forward to seeing the fruits of this collaboration in the future.

“Abu Dhabi is a rapidly growing global hub for culture and education and is situated in one of the most culturally diverse and historically rich parts of the world. Berklee Abu Dhabi will partake in the rich and prolific tradition of Arabic music and culture and this opening performance Meshwar - a musical journey across cultural, linguistic and artist borders - clearly defines our vision for Berklee Abu Dhabi in the advancement of performing arts.”

The opening concert will be followed by a series of performances including Spanish Flamenco from sensational international quartet Las Migas on March 31st and a staging of the classic Shakespeare play A Comedy of Errors on April 10th.

With Berklee Abu Dhabi now open, the programmes offered will serve local and regional students of all ages with instruction in music production, songwriting, vocal skills, dance, theatre and other disciplines.

Courses will include DJ Skills and Music Production, taught by Emmy-winning composer, music producer and Executive Director of Berklee NYC Stephen Webber; Movement Exploration, Jazz Movement Principles, Jazz Contemporary and Classical Modern Lab, taught by dance faculty Ruka White from the Boston Conservatory at Berklee; Creative Entrepreneurship to Design Innovative Business Models, taught by Emilien Moyon, director of the Master of Arts in Global Music Business and Entertainment programme at Berklee’s Valencia Campus; and Middle Eastern Fusion Ensemble and String Orchestra, taught by prominent cellist from Bethlehem Naseem Alatrash.

In addition, Berklee Abu Dhabi will offer programmes for children and students. Starting in March and taking place throughout the semester, Berklee Ignite will feature a series of events for young beginners in music, dance and theatre, aiming to engage the minds of children and young people ages 6-15 and inspire them to pursue the performing arts.
Berklee Abu Dhabi is a 42,000-square-foot arts education centre, with facilities including a performance space, a world-class recording studio, rehearsal studios, practice rooms, ensemble rooms, a tech lab and office space. For Berklee Abu Dhabi’s full schedule of courses, and for registration, please visit the website at berkleeabudhabi.ae or email register@berkleeabudhabi.ae.