The Dubai Event Management Corporation announced it has entered into a one-year agreement with New York's Metropolitan Opera, one of the most widely heard and known opera companies in the world, to bring to Dubai some of the critically acclaimed series of live high-definition performances, which are transmitted into movie theaters around the world.
Ten operas will be offered during the 2008-09 season of The Met: Live in HD. The series begins on Saturday, 11 October with soprano Karita Mattila reprising her riveting interpretation of the title role in Richard Strauss's Salome. The first show will be screened at the Madinat Jumeirah in Dubai.
Dubai Event Management Corporation's initiative will place Dubai alongside other global cities in Europe and South America that have joined the network this season to transmit The Met: Live in HD.
At the time of its launch in 2006, The Met: Live in HD was instantly recognized as a groundbreaking effort, with the Los Angeles Times describing the vivid, high-definition transmissions as a 'new art form.'
Fifteen or more high-definition (HD) cameras capture the action of the Met's Saturday matinees (1.00pm New York City, 9.00pm Dubai) both onstage and off, providing never-before-seen angles. The performances are presented with multi-channel surround-sound audio for an extraordinary audio-visual experience.
Richard Attias, CEO of Dubai Event Management Corporation, said: "For the first time Dubai will premiere the Metropolitan Opera's live opera transmission to the airwaves, adding another layer to the growth of the city's culture and performing arts. Opportunities like this will not only educate the people of Dubai, but also provide a rich source of artistic entertainment."
More than 920,000 people from 17 countries around the world attended last season's transmissions, which took place in some 700 movie theaters and performing arts centers. For the upcoming season, Dubai joins the network that has expanded to 28 countries and 850 movie theaters and performing arts centers.
Peter Gelb, General Manager of the Metropolitan Opera, said: "Our live transmissions are reaching new audiences for opera around the world. I am pleased that both opera lovers and newcomers to the art form will now have the opportunity to experience the Metropolitan Opera in Dubai."
In the Met's transmissions, audiences not only get to see the performances, but are also transported behind the scenes for live intermission interviews with the stars. A bird's-eye view of scenery changes and other backstage action are also brought to viewers real-time. Some of the biggest stars in opera serve as hosts of the programs, including renowned sopranos Ren_e Fleming and Natalie Dessay.
The HD 2008-09 season includes the Met premiere of John Adams's contemporary masterpiece Doctor Atomic; the rarely-staged masterwork La Damnation de Faust by Berlioz, conducted by Met Music Director James Levine, and featuring Marcello Giordani and Susan Graham; Massenet's ThaÇs starring Ren_e Fleming; Puccini's La Rondine with Angela Gheorghiu and Roberto Alagna; and Bellini's La Sonnambula starring Natalie Dessay and Juan Diego Fl‹rez.
Other highlights of the HD season include Anna Netrebko and Rolando Villaz‹n in Donizetti's Lucia di Lammermoor; Gluck's Orfeo ed Euridice with Stephanie Blythe and Danielle de Niese; Puccini's Madama Butterfly starring Cristina Gallardo-Domê¢s and Giordani; and Rossini's La Cenerentola featuring Elīna Garanča.
The Dubai Event Management Corporation was established by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, to manage and organize world class events, exhibitions and conferences. It is also mandated to develop and own international events, representing all sports.
Leveraging the country's established success in hosting world class events, the Dubai Event Management Corporation seeks to add significant value by bringing top-tier sportsmen and women to the UAE. It also aims to establish its standing as a credible event management institution in the world.
ABOUT DUBAI EVENT MANAGEMENT CORPORATION
Dubai Event Management Corporation; established by a decree issued by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, UAE Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, in March 2008; was mandated to create, manage and organize live events in the fields of sports, arts & culture, exhibitions, conferences and entertainment in the region; as well as establishing the standards for these events in the emirate, specifically with sports and conferences.
Launched by H.H. Sheikh Ahmed bin Mohammed Al Maktoum, the President of Dubai Event Management Corporation, it will introduce major new initiatives and strike international alliances with sports and cultural organizations, while working towards attracting conferences and exhibitions to the emirate. In addition, it will also develop and own unique international events in diverse industries.
The Dubai Event Management Corporation will seek to build credibility as a calendar and event management institution in Dubai and around the world. It will target the international markets while setting new benchmarks, as well as identifying and facilitating new key events with widespread public appeal. In addition to acting as a sports and cultural events owner, the corporation will also be an effective service provider for large-scale events.
