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Concert attendances rise by 30 per cent in a year as orchestra’s popularity grows
Audiences for performances by Qatar Philharmonic Orchestra have risen by almost a third over the last year, as its concerts strike a chord with more people across the nation.
For more than a decade, the Qatar Foundation member has been attracting an ever-growing following and enhancing engagement with, and enjoyment of, music in Qatar, offering a variety of styles and forms that cross genres and bridge East and West.
“Qatar Philharmonic Orchestra offers high-quality concerts that match those performed by the world’s most famous international orchestras.”
As the orchestra prepares to perform the work of three famous composers at a Doha concert, ahead of playing at United Nations Headquarters next week, Nasser Suhaim Naseeb, its deputy executive director, says the fact that a bigger home audience is now tuning in to what it has to offer shows how its commitment to musical diversity is working.
Qatar Philharmonic Orchestra’s following has steadily grown since its establishment more than a decade ago.
“Qatar Philharmonic Orchestra offers high-quality concerts that match those performed by the world’s most famous international orchestras,” he says. “Attendees at our concerts in Qatar have increased by 30 per cent over the last year, and this is something we are proud of.
“The orchestra was initially a new artistic option for the Qatari community, and it has been able to reach that community through focusing on different types of music, such as film music and animation music.
“These types of concerts were really welcomed by the public when they were presented to them, and have increased the demand for concerts by the orchestra.”
Listening to music directly from the musician on the stage is completely different from listening to it through the radio, YouTube, or other multimedia platforms.
Mr. Naseeb points out that Qatar Philharmonic Orchestra enables audiences to connect with, and appreciate, music in a whole new way. “Listening to music directly from the musician on the stage is completely different from listening to it through the radio, YouTube, or other multimedia platforms,” he explained. “The comprehension and focus of the listener is greater.”
And one of the keys to the orchestra’s success is the way it goes beyond the traditional performance setting. Speaking about the programs and initiatives that Qatar Philharmonic Orchestra organizes and participates in, designed to attract more members of the public to music, he emphasized how it collaborates with institutions across various sectors in Qatar.
The orchestra performs a diverse range of musical styles designed to cater for a variety of audiences.
“One example is a theatrical performance that will be held in cooperation with Qatar Academy Al Khor [one of Qatar Foundation’s schools], which will highlight the lives of forefathers in Qatar and will highlight the diving and pearl extraction period in the country’s history,” he said.
“The show will be accompanied by a performance from Qatar Philharmonic Orchestra, and it is performances of this kind that help to preserve Qatar’s cultural heritage in Qatar, and disseminate culture and art to the younger generation. We are also continuously working with various schools in Qatar to organize educational concerts for their students, in order to attract different age groups to our music.”
Qatar Philharmonic Orchestra’s concert at Qatar National Convention Center on Thursday, October 17, will be led by German conductor David Niemann and violinist Tobias Feldmann, with its musicians performing Mozart’s Overture to “Lucio Silla”, Bruch’s Violin Concerto No. 1 in G Minor, and Beethoven’s Symphony No. 7 in A Major. To learn more about the Qatar Philharmonic Orchestra and its other forthcoming concerts, please visit: Qatar Philharmonic Orchestra
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