Magnificent. That is the first word that comes to mind when taking a seat at the new Dubai Opera.
For months, Janus Rostock’s already iconic dhow-shaped structure has been tantalising curious minds, punctuating the Downtown Dubai skyline – but guests had their first taste of the interior at Wednesday’s grand opening.
The timelessly traditional auditorium exudes a sense of grandeur, with golden surfaces, gleaming lights and rows of plush red seats spiralling up to the stars. Artfully arching up to the building’s third tier, with glitzy VIP boxes sprouting from the side walls, the 2,000 capacity room manages to feel more intimate and inclusive than the spacious expanse of the 1,100-seater Emirates Palace Auditorium.
For any music lover, though, the true test is in the acoustics – and early feedback has been incredibly positive.
Plácido Domingo was highly complimentary, while midway through rehearsals, Stefano Pace, chief executive of the visiting Fondazione Teatro Lirico Giuseppe Verdi orchestra, reveals that the sound is beyond anything he expected.
“The acoustics are some of the best I’ve heard at any opening,” he says. “I’m very surprised, I didn’t expect that.”
In a rebuke to stuffy opera clichés – and in a daring juxtaposition with the conservatively flavoured main room – the lobby area sports a clean, ultra-modern sheen. Marked by sharp, white surfaces, translucent globed chandeliers and futuristic amber lighting strips, in daylight hours the airy space is flooded with swathes of natural light streaming through the dhow’s glass exterior.
What really counts, of course, is what happens on the stage. On the eve of the grand opening, chief executive Jasper Hope renewed a pledge to host “not less” than 200 performances in the venue’s first 365 days – adding he was confident the “majority will sell out”.
After seven years leading London’s lofty Albert Hall, Hope is refreshingly pragmatic, stressing the need to appeal to “every one of the 200 nationalities” that call Dubai home.
“Every night, I won’t be watching the stage, I will be watching the audience,” he says. “This venue is so flexible, we can deal with any kind of show from any country – I can’t think of anything we can’t do in this space.
“The challenge now is to deliver, to give people what they want – and in a place like Dubai, that is no mean feat. Can we provide a programme that represents everyone here?”
In his opening weeks, Hope makes a start with a programme ranging from classical orchestras and Russian ballet to Arabic music legends and family shows.
But the 47-year-old promises an even broader canvas moving into next year, with half of the 2017 programme already signed up, and almost a third of 2018’s calendar planned. External promoters have also been invited to host events – further broadening the potential for big names.
Proof of the venue’s technical malleability came with recent news that Dubai Opera will host the global PSA Dubai World Series Finals squash tournament in 2017 and 2018.
Amid all the excitement and idiosyncrasy, it is refreshing to learn the question Hope faces most often – what should audiences wear?
There is no official dress code, he says, adding tactfully that he will be decked out in black tie.
“All we ask is that when people come to Dubai Opera they realise it’s a fun night out – but it’s special,” he says.
“It’s a special place and we want people to feel special. And for some people, part of feeling special is looking good.”
rgarratt@thenational.ae
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The Way It Was: My Life with Frank Sinatra by Eliot Weisman and Jennifer Valoppi
Hachette Books
Ticket prices
- Golden circle - Dh995
- Floor Standing - Dh495
- Lower Bowl Platinum - Dh95
- Lower Bowl premium - Dh795
- Lower Bowl Plus - Dh695
- Lower Bowl Standard- Dh595
- Upper Bowl Premium - Dh395
- Upper Bowl standard - Dh295
The biog
Birthday: February 22, 1956
Born: Madahha near Chittagong, Bangladesh
Arrived in UAE: 1978
Exercise: At least one hour a day on the Corniche, from 5.30-6am and 7pm to 8pm.
Favourite place in Abu Dhabi? “Everywhere. Wherever you go, you can relax.”
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ADCC AFC Women’s Champions League Group A fixtures
October 3: v Wuhan Jiangda Women’s FC
October 6: v Hyundai Steel Red Angels Women’s FC
October 9: v Sabah FA
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Started: August 2020
Founder: Areej Selmi
Based: Gaza
Sectors: Internet, e-commerce
Investments: Grants/private funding
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Sustainable Development Goals
1. End poverty in all its forms everywhere
2. End hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture
3. Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages
4. Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all
5. Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls
6. Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all
7. Ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all
8. Promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all
9. Build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialisation and foster innovation
10. Reduce inequality within and among countries
11. Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable
12. Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns
13. Take urgent action to combat climate change and its effects
14. Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development
15. Protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, and halt and reverse land degradation and halt biodiversity loss
16. Promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provide access to justice for all and build effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels
17. Strengthen the means of implementation and revitalise the global partnership for sustainable development
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Founders: Alhaan Ahmed, Alyina Ahmed and Maximo Tettamanzi
Total funding: Self funded
BANGLADESH SQUAD
Mashrafe Mortaza (captain), Tamim Iqbal, Liton Das, Soumya Sarkar, Mushfiqur Rahim (wicketkeeper), Mahmudullah, Shakib Al Hasan (vice captain), Mohammad Mithun, Sabbir Rahaman, Mosaddek Hossain, Mohammad Saifuddin, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Rubel Hossain, Mustafizur Rahman, Abu Jayed (Reporting by Rohith Nair in Bengaluru Editing by Amlan Chakraborty)
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How to protect yourself when air quality drops
Install an air filter in your home.
Close your windows and turn on the AC.
Shower or bath after being outside.
Wear a face mask.
Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.
If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Xpanceo
Started: 2018
Founders: Roman Axelrod, Valentyn Volkov
Based: Dubai, UAE
Industry: Smart contact lenses, augmented/virtual reality
Funding: $40 million
Investor: Opportunity Venture (Asia)
What is type-1 diabetes
Type 1 diabetes is a genetic and unavoidable condition, rather than the lifestyle-related type 2 diabetes.
It occurs mostly in people under 40 and a result of the pancreas failing to produce enough insulin to regulate blood sugars.
Too much or too little blood sugar can result in an attack where sufferers lose consciousness in serious cases.
Being overweight or obese increases the chances of developing the more common type 2 diabetes.
David Haye record
Total fights: 32
Wins: 28
Wins by KO: 26
Losses: 4
