The National Orchestra of the United Arab Emirates is set to present a new artistic program that celebrates the rich musical archive from Emirati television and cinema. Titled 'From Screen to Stage', the program will be performed in a full symphonic orchestration, reflecting the significance of these works in the cultural and collective memory of the UAE. The event will take place on April 16 at the Cultural Center in Abu Dhabi and on April 18 at the stage of the Ras Al Khaimah Creative Cultural Center. The program offers a journey through cherished memories and creations that have accompanied national screens since the late 1970s to the present day. The project brings together musical selections from Emirati television, cinematic, and animated works spanning five decades. It also spotlights the composers of these works and highlights their role in shaping the musical language that accompanied storytelling on Emirati screens. The concert offers a shared musical journey through melodies that have accompanied generations, in a live experience that blends reflection and inspiration, allowing the audience to reconnect with this shared artistic memory. The National Orchestra of the UAE presents this program in collaboration with a choir, reinterpreting well-known musical pieces in a multi-voiced orchestral arrangement without compromising their original musical identity. The program also showcases the creations of a select group of Emirati composers, including Ibrahim Juma, Faisal Saeed, and others who contributed to the development of the musical voice of television and cinema at the national level. According to Sheikha Alya bint Khalid Al Qasimi, Director General of the National Orchestra of the UAE: 'Music has always been an inspiring medium for telling Emirati stories. Many of these musical works carry memories that the public has cherished across generations. Performing them again on a symphonic stage not only sheds light on the composers and creators who shaped them but also aims to create a shared experience that brings people together around a single musical memory. As a national orchestra, it is our responsibility to express the cultural voice of the state and to enhance the role of music in building bridges between members of society in impactful and meaningful ways. This program is a tribute to this musical heritage and an invitation for the public to rediscover it with a contemporary artistic vision.' The concert is designed as a series of interwoven orchestral pieces in a medley style, where each performance presents a musical piece representing a specific phase in the evolution of Emirati television and cinema and its accompanying musical style. Each interwoven piece brings together melodies from multiple productions into a single, continuous orchestral work. The concert will be hosted by Emirati actor, director, and poet Yaser Al-Niyadi, who will present brief stories before each piece, linking these musical works to the temporal and cultural context of their creation. The program includes musical pieces from iconic productions, such as the series 'Ishfan' (1978), the series 'Diving' (1978), 'Passerby' (1988), the first Emirati film, 'Frije' (2006), the first 3D animated series in the region, as well as modern productions like 'Treachery of a Homeland' (2016) and 'The Ambush' (2021), both inspired by real events. These selections are drawn from various fields of television and cinema, from historical drama and social comedy to animation and contemporary cinema. According to the conductor of the National Orchestra of the UAE, Ahmed Faraj: 'These musical pieces were composed to accompany stories told on screen, but performing them live on stage transforms them into memories in their own right, offering through their melodies a complete and nostalgic story that the hearts and ears of the audience grasp instantly, carrying with them a completely new meaning.' According to the Artistic Planner of the National Orchestra of the UAE, Fatima Al Hashemi: 'When we began to plan the concert program, we quickly realized that every musical piece suggested by a member of the team held a cherished memory in their hearts. It was then that we understood that this concert is not merely a celebration of the musical works of Emirati cinema, but a means of reviving emotions and memories close to the hearts of the audience, memories that have accompanied them throughout their lives.' The concert will bring together a select group of invited guests from the world of cinema and television in the UAE, including actors, directors, composers, and creators who participated in the featured works. Sheikha Alya bint Khalid Al Qasimi: 'The concert is not just a celebration of the musical works of Emirati cinema, but a means of reviving memories close to the hearts of the audience, memories that have accompanied them throughout their lives.'
