« Abu Dhabi Classics made a welcome return to the capital on Tuesday night with a sold-out opening performance by Lydie Solomon.
The Franco-Korean pianist played a stirring solo piano recital dedicated to the celebrated 19th century Polish composer, Frederic Chopin.
The event also marked the arrival of the Manarat Al Saadiyat Auditorium as a worthy venue for intimate concerts; the acoustics were crystal-clear throughout Solomon's performance.
The 32-year-old's programme touched on the many aspects of Chopin's career.
She began with Nocturne in C sharp minor Op posth, No 20; it was a gentle yet stark introduction that steadily built to an ethereal middle section before reprising that haunting introductory theme.
The intensity picked up in the popular Etude Op 10 No 12 with its signature stormy introductory passages before the effervescent Bolero Op 19 arrived with its Spanish influences.
The drama was not only limited to the keys, Solomon – who has a part-time acting career – made her UAE debut in a dazzling gilded gown.
She was a quiet yet intense figure, her pauses between movements found her often peering into some far away corner of the ceiling. Her affinity with the material was genuine, particularly in her beautiful rendering of Prelude Op 28 No 4 as she delicately channelled the piece's exquisite longing.