Conductor Nader Abbassi performing with the Qatar Philharmonic Orchestra on July 2
Painting a vivid picture of one of the world’s most enduring landscapes, the Qatar Philharmonic Orchestra will perform Ottorino Respighi’s Pines of Rome at its concert on Saturday, July 9. The Katara Opera House will be the scene of this final performance conducted by Egyptian-born Nader Abbassi as music director.
Respighi’s powerful and colourful symphonic poem, the second of his Roman Trilogy, is dedicated not to Rome’s monuments but its famous pine trees. Respighi takes us to tour avenues of Pines at the Villa Borghese, Pines near the Catacomb, Pines of the Janiculum and Pines of the Appian Way.
Pines is a richly descriptive piece by one of Italy’s most famous composers of the last century. Generations of Hollywood composers owe a debt of gratitude as the piece has inspired many scores and soundtracks.
The evening’s programme, the last before the summer break,  continues its Italian theme with the passionate Roman Carnival Overture by Hector Berlioz. Also featured are works by Carl Maria von Weber, Camille Saint-Saëns, Alexander Glazunov, Jacques Ibert and Ernest Chausson.
Violinist Mohamed Sharara
Nader Abbassi was the Qatar Philharmonic’s first music director from its inception in 2008. For the last decade he has also held the position of artistic director and principal conductor of the Cairo Opera Orchestra. In his conducting career, Abbassi has benefited from his wide professional experience as a singer, bassoonist and composer. Later this month he conducts Verdi’s Aida at New York’s prestigious Glimmerglass Festival. His future projects will see him in Marseille in 2012 to conduct Bizet’s Te Deum and Rossini’s Stabat Mater as well as Bizet’s Carmen.
“The Qatar Philharmonic has benefited from the artistic vision of Nader Abbassi,” said executive director Kurt Meister. “This will be his last concert as musical director, by no means his last concert here. This programme, with the rich tableau of Pines of Rome, will once again show off his versatility and virtuosity as a conductor.”
Greek maestro Michalis Economou has been named music director for the 2011-2012 season.
The Qatar Philharmonic’s final concert of the season will also be a chance to hear its individual musicians shine. The concert will see solo concerto appearances by Pavlo Dovhan and Mohamed Sharara on violin, Aleksandr Haskin on flute, Tam?s Marschall on clarinet and Ruslan Umarov on cello. These musicians come from Ukraine, Egypt, Belarus, Hungary and Kazakhstan, respectively. In all, 31 countries are represented in the Philharmonic’s roster.
“This concert brings to an end another remarkable season for our orchestra,” says Meister. “We have showcased not only the best of Arabic and Eastern music, but we have also given our audiences a taste of the most wonderful classical pieces ever composed. We look forward to sharing our exciting and diverse upcoming season after the summer.”
The opening night of the 2011-2012 season will be on September 24 at the Opera House at Katara Cultural Village.  The evening will be marked by a performance of Tchaikovsky’s Romeo and Juliet conducted by incoming music director Michalis Economou.