Shell will be bringing the English Chamber Orchestra (Eco) to Qatar on November 22 and 23 as part of the occasion marking the delivery of Pearl GTL. The Eco will be giving two gala performances at the Doha’s new classical music hub, the Opera House at Katara in conjunction with the newly formed Qatar Music and Arts. The gala concert on November 23 will be open to the public. The Eco is one of the world’s leading chamber orchestras, having performed in more countries than any other orchestra and recorded over 1,200 works. Shell’s executive vice-president Andy Brown said: “At Shell, we are committed to excellence and top performance in all our projects and through our people - we recognise this quality in the exceptional musicians of the English Chamber Orchestra. We are also focused on supporting Qatar’s cultural ambitions in line with the Qatar National Vision 2030. We would like to thank Katara for agreeing to host these unique gala concerts at their amazing new facilities at the Katara Opera House.” Katara president Abdulrahman al-Khulaifi said: “Katara is dedicated to supporting local community cultural events. The English Chamber Orchestra performance marks a milestone in Qatar’s LNG industry and we are pleased to host a world renowned Orchestra at our state-of-the-art facilities. This event contributes to our vision to educate and entertain whilst building cultural bridges.” Qatar Music and Arts artistic director and concert pianist Amira Fouad explained that the organisation was planning a very ambitious musical programme for each gala evening, which will include classical works by Handel, Mozart and Schubert as well as the Mena premiere of the piano concerto ‘El Hedeiya’ or ‘The Gift’ by contemporary British composer and conductor David Heath. “This extraordinary piece of music was written especially for me and the English Chamber Orchestra as a gift to the Arabic people,” she noted. Alongside the two gala performances, and as part of Shell’s sponsorship, the Eco will also be holding workshops for young aspiring musicians at the Qatar Music Academy and two private performances for schools. Gulf Times

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