The UAE National Orchestra will step onto the national stage in January 2026 with The Beginning, its first full concert series, bringing its complete ensemble to live audiences across the country for the opening season.
The series opens on 15 January at Emirates Palace Auditorium in Abu Dhabi and continues throughout the month with performances in Al Ain, Dubai, Sharjah, Ras Al Khaimah and Fujairah. It marks the first time the Orchestra’s 70 musicians and 30 choir members will perform together for the public across multiple Emirates.
Each programme will vary by location, with select concerts featuring guest soloists. Performances in Abu Dhabi and Dubai will include renowned Iraqi oud virtuoso Naseer Shamma and Turkish qanun master Aytaç Doğan, placing regional instruments at the centre of a symphonic setting that blends Arabic and Western musical traditions.
At the heart of the series is The Beginning, an Emirati Symphony by composer Nadim Tarabay, created as a tribute to the UAE’s musical heritage. The programme also features Alexander Borodin’s Polovtsian Dances from Prince Igor in an oriental orchestral arrangement, alongside Shamma’s works Ishraq for oud and orchestra and Journey of Souls for oud and qanun.
The concert series follows the Orchestra’s first public appearance at the Eid Al Etihad official ceremony on 2 December and represents the next step in establishing its national musical identity.
Managing Director Sheikha Alia bint Khalid Al Qassimi described the series as a statement of creative confidence and cultural unity, while Artistic Director and Conductor Amine Kouider said it introduces a new musical vision rooted in dialogue between tradition and symphonic form.
Tickets for The Beginning are now available through the UAE National Orchestra website.
News Source: Emirates News Agency
