Lisa Batiashvili and Giorgi Gigashvili at Abu Dhabi Festival 2026

This is a classical recital for violin and piano, staged as part of Abu Dhabi Festival 2026 in Abu Dhabi. The violinist Lisa Batiashvili, an award-winning soloist, shares the stage with Giorgi Gigashvili, a pianist who is widely described as a rising star. Both musicians come from Georgia, and the evening pairs them in a duo programme rather than a full orchestral setting.

The programme moves between very different musical worlds. Beethoven brings bold grandeur, while Bartók supplies a wilder, more fiery brilliance, and the contrast between the two composers gives the evening its tension. César Franck's Violin Sonata sits alongside them, a work known for shimmering colour and graceful, singing lines. The concert also includes a new composition by Josef Bardanashvili, which receives its Arab world premiere here, so listeners will hear something that has not yet been performed anywhere in the Arab world.

The concert takes place at the Cultural Foundation, one of the best-known cultural buildings in Abu Dhabi. It is an arts centre in the city's downtown area, and it hosts exhibitions, talks and performances. Abu Dhabi is a drive from Dubai, usually about an hour to an hour and a half by car depending on the starting point, so Dubai residents can treat the evening as a cultural outing in the capital.

The format is a seated classical concert, best suited to listeners who enjoy chamber music and want to hear two instrumentalists in close conversation. A sonata programme is more intimate than a symphony night: with only a violin and a piano, the focus falls on tone, phrasing and the interplay between the players. It should appeal both to regular concertgoers and to newcomers curious about the violin repertoire.

The Abu Dhabi Festival is known as a showcase for international artists and new commissions, and this recital fits that spirit by combining established masterpieces with a freshly written piece. For anyone who follows classical music in the UAE, the Arab world premiere is a particular reason to attend.