National Youth Orchestra Dubai makes history with award and landmark Vienna performances
Young musicians shine at prestigious international festival in Austria
DUBAI/VIENNA – The National Youth Orchestra Dubai (NYO Dubai) has achieved a landmark milestone after becoming the first UAE-based orchestra to perform at some of Vienna’s most prestigious concert venues while also securing an international award at one of the world's leading youth music festivals.
The achievement was celebrated by Dubai Culture and Arts Authority (Dubai Culture), which supported the orchestra’s participation through its Dubai Cultural Grant programme. The Vienna tour combined high-profile performances, international competition, professional training and cultural exchange, further strengthening the UAE’s growing presence on the global classical music stage.
The orchestra’s Strings Camerata Orchestra delivered debut performances at the Wiener Konzerthaus, the Musikverein’s world-famous Golden Hall and the ORF RadioKulturhaus, marking an unprecedented achievement for a UAE-based ensemble. Alongside these performances, the musicians represented the country at the 18th Summa Cum Laude International Youth Music Festival, held under the patronage of Austrian President His Excellency Dr Alexander Van der Bellen and under the auspices of the Austrian Commission for UNESCO.
World premiere
One of the highlights of the festival came during the opening concert, where the orchestra presented the world premiere of Threads of Light, a new composition by acclaimed Emirati composer Ihab Darwish, Founder and Chairman of the Emirates Musicians' Association.
Inspired by the values of unity, hope and the collective voice of young people, the work reflected music’s ability to showcase local creative talent, communicate Emirati identity through a universal artistic language and encourage meaningful cultural exchange between nations.
The performance provided an international platform for contemporary Emirati composition while reinforcing the orchestra’s role in promoting home-grown artistic excellence beyond the UAE.
The Strings Camerata Orchestra, under the musical direction of conductors Jonathan Barrett and Eva Gräsbeck, also achieved a major competitive success by claiming third place at the prestigious festival. The ensemble competed against leading youth orchestras from around the world before an international jury in the legendary Golden Hall of the Musikverein. The competition was held under the artistic direction of Saul Zaks.
International recognition
Dubai Culture described the orchestra’s success as a reflection of its continued efforts to strengthen the music sector, support emerging talent and provide opportunities for young artists to perform on internationally recognised stages.
Shaima Rashed Al Suwaidi, CEO of the Arts, Design and Literature Sector at Dubai Culture, said the orchestra’s Vienna tour demonstrated the authority's commitment to empowering local musicians and enabling them to perform on some of the world's leading artistic platforms.
She said the achievement highlighted the exceptional calibre of Emirati talent and reaffirmed that sustained investment in music education and capacity-building could produce a generation capable of representing the UAE with distinction on the international stage.
Al Suwaidi added that the tour also reflected Dubai Culture’s commitment to positioning the arts as a bridge for cultural dialogue while strengthening collaboration with leading international cultural and creative institutions. Such partnerships, she said, create opportunities for knowledge exchange, support the development of joint initiatives and provide meaningful international experiences for Emirati creatives, further enhancing Dubai’s cultural presence worldwide.
Training programme
Beyond the performances and competition, the Vienna programme included an extensive schedule of professional development activities designed to help young musicians refine their artistic abilities.
Members of the orchestra participated in masterclasses and specialised training sessions led by Maestro Saul Zaks and Maestro Alexander Grandé, providing opportunities to work closely with internationally recognised musicians and gain advanced technical and performance experience.
The delegation also visited the University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna (MDW), where orchestra members joined the String Music Lab organised in collaboration with Thomastik-Infeld, the internationally renowned string manufacturer. The visit featured additional workshops led by Maestro Saul Zaks and Maestro Alexandre Grandé, offering participants further exposure to world-class musical education.
These educational opportunities formed an important part of the programme, complementing the orchestra’s performances while supporting Dubai Culture’s wider objective of developing the next generation of musicians.
Cultural exchange
Alongside its musical engagements, the Dubai Culture delegation and orchestra members explored Vienna’s rich artistic heritage through a dedicated cultural and educational programme.
The itinerary included visits to the Haus der Musik, home to interactive exhibitions celebrating the lives and achievements of some of history’s greatest composers, as well as the Kunsthistorisches Museum, which houses one of the world's most significant collections of historic musical instruments associated with renowned musicians.
Amira Fouad, Artistic Director of the National Youth Orchestra Dubai, described the Vienna tour as an unforgettable milestone for the orchestra and its young performers.
She said seeing the musicians perform in the Golden Hall of the Musikverein, the Wiener Konzerthaus and the RadioKulturhaus as the first orchestra from the UAE to appear at those venues was an experience she would carry for the rest of her life.
Fouad said the tour demonstrated what young musicians could achieve when their talent was recognised, nurtured and supported. She thanked the organisers of the Summa Cum Laude Festival and Dubai Culture for making the experience possible, while also praising conductors Jonathan Barrett and Eva Gräsbeck and every member of the orchestra for representing the UAE with excellence on some of the world's most prestigious concert stages.
Held annually each July, the Summa Cum Laude International Youth Music Festival takes place at Vienna’s two principal classical music venues, the Golden Hall of the Musikverein and the Wiener Konzerthaus. Organised under the patronage of the Austrian Commission for UNESCO and Austria’s Federal President, the festival brings together talented young musicians from across the globe, providing an international platform where they can perform, develop their artistic skills, encourage intercultural dialogue and build lasting connections through the universal language of music.