Abu Dhabi Festival music award winners have been officially announced, marking a major cultural milestone for the capital as the emirate strengthens its position on the global music stage.
The announcement comes as part of the Abu Dhabi International Competition for Composition (ADICC), the Middle East’s first-ever global music composition competition.
A First-of-Its-Kind Competition in the Region
Launched in May 2025, ADICC attracted 165 submissions from 47 countries, highlighting strong international interest in this pioneering initiative.
The competition invited composers to submit original works across two categories, orchestral composition and solo piano.
Held under the honorary founding patronage of H.H. Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan and the patronage of H.H. Sheikha Shamsa bint Hamdan bin Mohammed Al Nahyan, the competition reflects Abu Dhabi Festival’s long-term cultural vision, the flagship initiative of the Abu Dhabi Music & Arts Foundation (ADMAF).
Announcing the Inaugural Laureates
The first-place winners were announced as Daniele Gasparini, who claimed the orchestral category with En el Aire, and Andrey Zubets, who topped the piano category with Mirror Preludes.
Both composers were named inaugural laureates of ADICC and will each receive AED 130,000. They will also premiere their work at the 23rd Abu Dhabi Festival in April 2026, with the performance to be streamed globally.
Second-place winners received AED 50,000, while third-place winners received AED 25,000, further underlining the festival’s commitment to nurturing emerging talent.
Winning compositions will be professionally recorded through the Abu Dhabi Festival Composers’ Platform, a long-standing initiative supporting composers and preserving contemporary music for global audiences.
Strengthening Abu Dhabi’s Cultural Legacy
As a UNESCO-designated City of Music, Abu Dhabi continues to invest in initiatives that shape the future of artistic expression. With ADICC, the capital has firmly placed composition at the heart of its cultural narrative.
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