Abu Dhabi's Department of Culture and Tourism has announced the Youth Orchestra Abu Dhabi, a new programme offering completely free music education to children aged six to nine, with instruments provided at no cost to families. The orchestra will be based in the Mina Zayed district, inside a building designed by the late architect Frank Gehry that includes a 600-seat concert hall and 18 rehearsal and practice rooms. The venue is scheduled to open in January 2027.
The first cohort will take in 100 children, who will attend group lessons four times a week after school, plus two additional Saturday sessions each month. The curriculum covers both Western classical music and Arabic musical traditions, drawing on the model of two well-known programmes abroad, the Youth Orchestra of Los Angeles and Venezuela's El Sistema.
Mohamed Khalifa Al Mubarak, chairman of DCT Abu Dhabi, said the initiative is meant to give young people the chance to discover and develop their potential through music. Choosing Frank Gehry, an architect already behind several major cultural projects on Saadiyat Island, signals that Abu Dhabi sees the orchestra as part of a longer-term investment in the emirate's cultural infrastructure rather than a one-off initiative.
Because the opening intake is capped at 100 places, demand from families in Abu Dhabi is expected to be high. Further details on registration dates and the application process are expected to be released closer to the January 2027 opening, giving interested parents time to prepare before spots fill up.