Echoes of Time: Ibn Arabi - UAE National Orchestra

Across centuries, the words of Ibn Arabi have resonated through cultures and generations, speaking of love, unity, and the search for meaning. A world premiere, composed by Nadim Tarabay as a symphonic poem and commissioned by the UAE National Orchestra, Echoes of Time: Ibn Arabi transforms these timeless ideas into a symphonic journey, conducted by Ahmed Farag. Voice meets Arabic and Western instruments in a seamless dialogue inspired by the art of deep listening. Moving between stillness and awakening, the concert invites audiences to experience time as emotion, where silence and melody carry meaning.

The audience is guided through seven poems by an unfolding promenade. Each poem is spoken into presence and answered by a tapestry of sound, expressed through the choir and shaped instrumentally by the orchestra. As the orchestra’s instruments intertwine, the promenade evolves, forging a unique contemplative soundscape. Every sound carries a trace of meaning, and love emerges as the unifying thread.

UAE National Orchestra

The UAE National Orchestra (UAENO) is a groundbreaking cultural initiative, with a mission to build our nation’s orchestra on the foundations of Emirati musical heritage, connected across its diverse community, and exploring connections with musical traditions from around the world.

Under the visionary leadership of Chairperson Her Excellency Noura bint Mohammed Al Kaabi, Minister of State at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the UAE National Orchestra will enrich the nation’s artistic landscape, providing career opportunities for professional musicians. It will honor the UAE’s musical heritage while embracing modern multiculturalism – developing a distinctive style and sound that reflects the country’s cultural diversity of the modern nation.

Through dedicated capacity-building programmes and international partnerships, the orchestra will provide training, support, and mentorship for emerging musicians, enhancing the local musical ecosystem and fostering future generations of artists. Through this orchestra, the UAE reaffirms its dedication to becoming a beacon of cultural excellence on the global stage.

Ahmed Farag (Conductor)

Ahmed Farag is a conductor whose repertoire spans opera, ballet, and symphonic works. He is currently the Assistant Conductor of the UAE National Orchestra. 

He began his musical training at the Cairo Conservatory before continuing his studies at the Haute Ecole de Musique in Geneva, Switzerland, where he earned a Bachelor of Music, a Master's in Oboe Performance, and a Master's in Orchestral Conducting. Farag has served as a conductor at the Cairo Opera House, regularly leading the Cairo Symphony Orchestra and Cairo Opera Orchestra 

Internationally, Farag has worked with institutions including the Grand Théâtre de Genève, the Karlovy Vary Symphony Orchestra, and NEOJIBA in Brazil.

Nadim Tarabay (Composer) 

Born in Beirut, Lebanon, in 1997, Nadim Tarabay is a Lebanese contemporary classical composer and orchestrator whose work bridges Middle Eastern musical heritage and modern orchestral writing. A graduate of the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique et de Danse de Paris, he is the first Lebanese composer since 1986 to join its composition department. Tarabay’s works have been performed across Europe, the Middle East, Australia, and the United States, and he has appeared at festivals including Festival Messiaen au Pays de la Meije and Festival Diapason 440. Recent projects include Sinfonietta en Spirale (2024) and the recomposition and orchestration of Antar & Abla. Tarabay collaborated with the UAE National Orchestra on the creation of The Beginning, an Emirati Symphony, a large-scale orchestral work inspired by Ayyala rhythms, Emirati folk modalities, and the cultural poetics of the Arabian Peninsula.