Abu Dhabi, December 15, 2024 – Marking the 40th anniversary of diplomatic ties between China and the United Arab Emirates, the China Symphony Orchestra delivered a landmark performance at the Emirate Palace Hotel Theatre in Abu Dhabi on December 14.
Invited by the Abu Dhabi Music and Arts Foundation, the concert was attended by a distinguished audience including Chinese Ambassador to the UAE Zhang Yiming and his wife Zhu Naizhen, Abu Dhabi Music and Arts Foundation Chair Hu Da and his spouse, Sharjah’s Princess Lubna, and Yin Bo, deputy leader of the China Symphony Orchestra. The event also welcomed UAE political and business leaders, cultural figures, nearly 20 ambassadors from various nations, representatives from Chinese-funded institutions, educators, and close to a thousand Chinese expatriate students.
Serving as the grand finale of a series of diplomatic events and the closing performance for the 2024 Abu Dhabi International Festival’s China Guest Country activities, the concert featured an impressive lineup. Conducted by Jing Huan, the orchestra’s permanent conductor, and featuring Paganini International Violin Competition champion Ning Feng as the soloist, this performance marked the China Symphony Orchestra’s first full-scale tour in the Middle East.
The evening commenced with renditions of both countries’ national anthems, followed by a collaborative performance of “Yabahar,” a composition by renowned UAE composer Ihab, alongside a local Emirati ensemble, which garnered enthusiastic applause. The audience was then moved by the classic “Butterfly Lovers” concerto and the melodious “Arabian Nights,” inspired by the legendary tales of “One Thousand and One Nights,” offering an enchanting musical journey.
In the concert’s finale, the orchestra returned to the stage to perform “Russian Dance” and “Jasmine” in collaboration with the Abu Dhabi Youth Orchestra, bringing the evening to a triumphant close amid warm applause.
Concurrently, the Chinese Embassy in the UAE and the UAE China Cultural Center hosted a Sino-Arab Friendship Photo Exhibition alongside the concert, showcasing the rich cultural collaborations between the two nations.
The event was covered by major media outlets including People’s Daily, Xinhua, China Central Television, Economic Daily, China-Arab Satellite TV, UAE News Agency, and Ain News, highlighting the strong cultural and diplomatic bonds between China and the UAE.
