DUBAI: Get ready for a season of unparalleled opulence and cultural grandeur as M Premiere, the foremost event organizer with a stellar 15-year track record in the UAE, unveils the splendid itinerary of four prestigious events commencing on November 1, 2023. Enthusiasts of international music sensations, opera and ballet luminaries, and the enduring artistic legacy that traces its roots back to the illustrious 18th century are in for a magnificent treat.
For the first time in the Middle East
The opening act of the season is the concert of the world-sensation Alexey Arkhipovsky, known as “the Paganini of the balalaika,” who will perform for the first time in the Middle East, at Dubai Opera on 1 November 2023.
The best balalaika soloist in the world!
Arkhipovsky has drawn comparisons with the legendary 18th century Italian violin virtuoso Niccolò Paganini as well as the American rock guitarist Jimi Hendrix, for his eclectic and innovative technique that has changed audiences’ perspective and broadened the possibilities of the instrument. Officially recognised as “The best balalaika soloist in the world” by the Guinness Book of Records in Russia in 2011, he will perform folk, classical and contemporary hits in his not-to-be-missed, first-ever balalaika concert in the region.
Dubai Opera Ball 2023… uniquely blended grand musical & social event
The Dubai Opera Ball, presented jointly by M Premiere and Mundus Gala in collaboration with the Dresden Opera Ball, will take place on 18 November at the Dubai Opera and is going to be the highlight of the season. The Ball is not only a uniquely blended and grand musical event but a social event as well, where European flair and a storied legacy are combined with modern musical and artistic performances from the Arab world in the signature style of luxurious M Premiere events.
Distinction…Stars…& Wonderful Evenings
Among the star performers who will take the stage are the brilliant soprano Aida Garifullina who has performed at leading opera houses across the globe, including La Scala in Milan, the Metropolitan Opera in New York and the Royal Opera House in London, the Italian tenor Riccardo Massi who has performed at prestigious theatres including La Scala, the phenomenal Italian soprano Anastasia Bartoli, who is considered a rising star of opera known for her “agility and fire,” and Vasilisa Berzhanskaya, the Russian mezzo-soprano who has garnered acclaim for her huge vocal range, the Janoska Ensemble from Austria, virtuosos known for the stylish improvisation that has rendered Western classical music into a truly 21st century art form, the ballet star and Premier of the Bolshoi theatre Denis Rodkin, and the jazz maestro Igor Butman. The artistes will be accompanied by The Northern Sinfonia Orchestra, conducted by Italian music director Fabio Mastrangelo.
Together, they form the perfect backdrop for the highlight of the evening, the debutant couples from Dresden, with the ladies dressed in fine gowns and the gentlemen in tuxedos, who will present a charming dance exhibition in a three-four-time signature, captivating audiences as they have for generations in European high society.
One of the most exciting opera divas of today and tomorrow!
Some of the star performers of the Opera Ball will stage their own individual performances in the following days. The soprano Aida Garifullina, described as “one of the most exciting opera divas of today and tomorrow” by none other than the maestro Plácido Domingo, will give her first ever solo concert in the UAE on 19 November at Dubai Opera. The celebrated artiste, who is at the peak of her internationally acclaimed career, will present not only classic arias from the world opera repertoire but also very well-known romances and crossover hits.
World-renowned Bolshoi & more
The very next day, on 20 November 2023, ballet superstar, Bolshoi Theatre Premier Denis Rodkin and his friends from the world-renowned Bolshoi, Mikhailovsky and Teatro alla Scala dance troupes will perform at Dubai Opera.
Rodkin has danced the lead in various iconic ballet productions, including Don Quixote’s Basile, The Nutcracker Prince, and Spartacus, among others, at the Bolshoi Theatre.
Well-known masterpieces
Denis Rodkin will share the stage with his world-renowned friends including Mikhail Lobukhin and Semen Chudin, Premieres at the Bolshoi Theatre, Eleonora Sevenard and Evgeniya Obraztsova, Primas at the Bolshoi Theatre, Jacopo Tissi, Guest Principal Dancer at Teatro alla Scala and many more. They will present some of the well-known masterpieces such as Adagio from the ballet Raymonda, Pas-de-deux from the ballet Don Quixote, Dying Swan, Carmen and many more.
One of the most eagerly awaited events
As demonstrated by its scintillating success in 2022, the Dubai Opera Ball is one of the most eagerly awaited events on the city’s social calendar. The 2023 edition promises to be an even grander success, given the sheer artistic firepower present in the line-up of artists and performances put together by M Premiere.
