Visits from Bait Al Oud Online Concert Series Continues with Spectacular Tribute to Mozart

07 Jul, 2020

The popular Visits from Bait Al Oud online concert series will continue with its sixth edition this Wednesday 8 July, with a unique cross-cultural event dedicated to the music of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.

The latest installment of the virtual concert series, which is under the artistic direction of Iraqi Oud master Naseer Shamma and organised by the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi (DCT Abu Dhabi), will be titled Universal Mozart and comprise a programme of the Viennese composer’s incredible music alongside new pieces inspired by the Austrian genius and written by Shamma. Both the classical and tribute pieces will be performed by Shamma and Bait Al Oud musicians on Arabic instruments, which will result in a truly one-of-a-kind, cross-cultural musical experience for listeners.

The concert will begin streaming at 9pm, and will feature Shamma’s Variations on Mozart, followed by the Bait Al Oud musicians playing Mozarts’s Türkischer Marsch (All Turca) (Klaviersonate Nr.11), Die Entführung aus dem Serail, Ouvertüre and much more.

A continuation of ‘Naseer Shamma & Friends’, the successful online concert which spread a message of hope during the current COVID-19 pandemic, Visits from Bait Al Oud has been regularly held on Wednesdays, where Bait Al Oud musicians from all over the world have been performing from the safety of their homes under the artistic supervision of Shamma.

A world-renowned maestro from Iraq, Shamma is a distinguished oud player who has received more than 60 awards and accolades, and released albums in Italy, Egypt, Algeria and the UK with more than 60 compositions. As the UNESCO Artist for Peace and goodwill ambassador to the International Red Crescent and Red Cross Societies, Shamma continues to use his talent to spread a message of hope alongside the talented graduates of Bait Al Oud and instructors.

Mozart was born in 1756 in Salzburg and remains one of the worlds most admired and popular composers of classical music. He was a child prodigy, a true genius who was able to memorise full compositions after only hearing them once. At the age of six he began performing and embarked on his first concert tour through Europe. After moving to Vienna in 1781, Mozart became one of the main figures of the Classical Period, and today his name stands for artistic ingenuity, technical perfection and the universal reach of Classical music.

The Visits from Bait Al Oud series has held number of concerts to date including ‘The New Qanoon’, ‘Naseer Shamma and the Bait Al Oud Graduates: Oud Celebration’, ‘Classical Arabic Singing’ and ‘Singing the Holy Month of Ramadan’.

The public will be able to watch these concerts and enjoy the best of classical music from [https://www.youtube.com/AbuDhabiCulture].