‘What would the classical masterpieces sound like if their composers had lived in the Arab world, immersed in maqams, quarter tones, and intricate Arabic rhythms?’

Arabesque is a novel concept in which Ghady Rahbani and Omar Rahbany delve into the richness of Arabic music within the framework of the classical orchestral setup. Accompanied by the world-class Qatar Philharmonic Orchestra, this two-act performance, lasting approximately 1 hour and 20 minutes, reimagines the dialogue between Eastern and Western musical traditions.

ARTISTS:
Kamoliddin Urinbaev, conductor
Omar Rahbany, piano
Lyonel Schmit, concertmaster

PROGRAMME:
Part 1 | World Premiere: Second Piano Concerto
Part 2 | Reimagining Classical Masterpieces

Immerse yourself in a rich evening of Richard Strauss with the Qatar Philharmonic Orchestra under the baton of Elias Grandy. The program opens with Strauss’ symphonic tone poem Don Quixote. Cellist Daniel Müller-Schott and QPO’s violist Giovanni Pasini bring the story to life as the voices of Don Quixote and Sancho Panza, tracing their comic adventures and moments of touching lyricism.

After the intermission, the orchestra continues its Strauss journey with the impassioned Don Juan, a whirlwind of exuberance and tragedy, followed by the sumptuous Suite from Der Rosenkavalier. Filled with soaring waltzes and opulent orchestral color, the suite closes the evening in a spirit of romance, showcasing Strauss at his most dazzling.

ARTISTS:
Elias Grandy, conductor
Daniel Müller-Schott, cello
Giovanni Pasini, viola
Lyonel Schmit, concertmaster

PROGRAMME:
Richard Strauss: Don Quixote, Op. 35, TrV 184

Intermission

Richard Strauss:
Don Juan, Op. 20 , TrV 156
Der Rosenkavalier Suite, Op. 59, TrV 227

Under the baton of Elias Grandy, QPO performs Rimsky-Korsakov’s Scheherazade, a vivid symphonic journey inspired by One Thousand and One Nights. Across four scenes, the orchestra conjures sweeping seas, glittering courts, and bold adventure, all held together by the work’s iconic violin solo, Scheherazade’s voice, led by Concertmaster Joo Young Oh.

Joining the performance are Taoufik Mirkhan on qanun and Rania Shehab as narrator, adding an extra layer of atmosphere to this journey through myth and imagination.

A special surprise will be included as part of the evening.

ARTISTS:
Elias Grandy, conductor
Taoufik Mirkhan, qanoun
Rania Shehab, narrator
Joo Young Oh, concertmaster

PROGRAMME: 
Nicolai Rimsky-Korsakov: Scheherazade, Op. 35

Intermission

Program TBC

ARTISTS:
Elias Grandy, conductor
Joseph Moog, piano

PROGRAMME:
Johannes Brahms: Piano Concerto No. 2 in B Flat Major, Op. 83

Intermission

Franz Schubert: Symphony in B Minor, D. 759 (Unfinished Symphony)
Josef Strauss: Sphärenklänge (Music of the Spheres), Op. 235

ARTISTS:
Marcus Bosch, conductor

PROGRAMME:
Anton Bruckner: Symphony No. 8 in C Minor (1890 version, edited by: Leopold Nowak)

ARTISTS:
Giacomo Sagripanti, conductor
Maria Agresta, soprano
Giorgio Berrugi, tenor

PROGRAMME:
Giuseppe Verdi:
Nabucco: Sinfonia
Rigoletto “Questa o quella”
Oberto, Conte di San Bonifacio :Tutto ho perduto Sciagurata a questo lido Cela ilfoglio
La Traviata: “Parigo, o cara”
Luisa Miller ” Ouverture
Simon Boccanegra “Come in quest’ ora bruna”
Luisa Miller “Quando le sere al placido”
Otello “Duett: Gia nella notte densa”
Overture to I vespri siciliani (The Sicilian Vespers)
Simon Boccanegra “Oh inferno! Cielo pietoso”
Otello “Mi parea Salce, salce Ave Maria”
Un ballo in maschera: “Duet: “Teco io sto”

ARTISTS:
Toufic Maatouk, conductor
Dave Monaco, tenor
Joo Young Oh, concertmaster

PROGRAMME: TBA

Led by Austin Chanu with Concertmaster Joo Young Oh, this programme moves from Mozart’s sharp wit to Bartók’s full-throttle orchestral color.

Mozart’s The Marriage of Figaro Overture kicks things off in a rush of energy, bright, fast, and instantly likeable. His Flute Concerto then brings a lighter, more lyrical mood, featuring QPO’s Aleksandr Haskin as the soloist.

After the interval, Bartók’s Concerto for Orchestra takes over with bold rhythms, vivid sound, and one standout moment after another across the whole ensemble, ending in a huge finale. This is an evening that should not be missed!

ARTISTS:
Austin Chanu, conductor
Aleksandr Haskin, flute

PROGRAMME:
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart:
Le nozze di Figaro: Overture, K. 492
Flute Concerto No. 2 in D Major, K. 314 (285d)

Intermission

Béla Bartók: Concerto for Orchestra

Under the baton of Elias Grandy, QPO welcomes James Zijian Wei, winner of the Cleveland International Piano Competition, for one of the most electrifying works in the repertoire: Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No. 3. Famous for its power and sheer virtuosity, it pairs towering piano writing with an orchestra in full bloom, intimate one moment, thunderous the next.

After the interval, the mood shifts to Janáček’s The Cunning Little Vixen Suite; bright, lyrical music drawn from his beloved opera, full of color, rustic dance energy, and flashes of tenderness, an ideal counterpart to Rachmaninoff’s intensity. Concertmaster Joo Young Oh leads the orchestra throughout this wide-ranging program.

ARTISTS:
Elias Grandy, conductor
James Zijan Wei, piano
Joo Young Oh, concertmaster
 

PROGRAMME:
Sergie Rachmaninoff: Piano Concerto No. 3 in D Minor, Op. 30

Intermission

Leoš Janáček: The Cunning Little Vixen (Das schlaue Füchslein) – Suite

Conductor Elias Grandy leads an evening of color, rhythm, and Nordic drama, with Concertmaster Lionel Schmit and pianist Sonja Park.

Debussy’s Prélude à L’Après-midi d’un faune (Prelude to the Afternoon of a Faun) opens in a haze of sound that’s atmospheric and instantly transporting. Ravel then takes center stage with his brilliant Piano Concerto in G major, where Sonja Park moves from jazz-tinged sparkle to a slow movement of suspended lyricism.

After the interval, Sibelius’s Lemminkäinen Suite brings four cinematic tone poems drawn from Finnish legend: mysterious and stormy, with some of the composer’s most unforgettable orchestral writing.

ARTISTS:
Elias Grandy, conductor
Sonja Park, piano
Lyonel Schmit, concertmaster

PROGRAMME:
Claude Debussy: Prélude à l’Après-midi d’un faune (Prelude to the Afternoon of a Faun)
Maurice Ravel: Piano Concerto in G Major

Intermission

Jean Sibelius: Lemminkäinen Suite, Op. 22

ARTISTS:
Elias Grandy, conductor
Luka Faulisi, violin
Aydan Alakbarova, organ
Joo Young Oh, concertmaster

PROGRAMME:
Jean Sibelius: Violin Concerto in D Minor, Op. 47

Intermission

Camille Saint-Saëns: Symphony No. 3 in C minor, Op. 78 (“Organ”)

ARTISTS:
Hossein Pishkar, conductor
Rony Moser, clarinet
Lionel Schmit, concertmaster

PROGRAMME:
Carl Maria von Weber:
Der Freischütz Overture
Clarinet Concerto No. 2 in E-Flat Major, Op. 74, J.118

Intermission

Modest Mussorgsky: Pictures at an Exhibition (arr. Maurice Ravel)