Capital welcomes the 'Queen of Agility'

The eagerly-anticipated event, Bartoli's first appearance in the Gulf, saw tickets snapped up as soon as they went on sale. Her performance, entitled 'Romantic Revolution', aptly showcased the full extent of her impressive talent, harking back to the golden age of famous composers including Rossini and Bellini and providing lovers of 'bel canto' with a uniquely memorable experience.

Since bursting onto the international scene as a talented 19-year old in the mid-80s, the four-time Grammy winning Bartoli has maintained her crown as one of world's leading proponents of 'bel canto', with tickets for her international tour dates usually sold out months in advance.

A modern-day diva in the most delightful sense, Bartoli's love of 'bel canto' muse and original operatic diva, Maria Malibran, has created a new legion of fans from the four corners of the globe.

Speaking just before the event, Bartoli said "I always advise people that when they can, they should just listen to music. Don't worry about being an expert or being able to understand the language. Music has a language of its own and it will speak to you."

Abu Dhabi Authority for Culture and Heritage Director General, Mohammed Khalaf Al-Mazrouei commented:

"With this series of concerts we are confirming Abu Dhabi's place as a cultural platform for internationally-recognised artists to reach out to a regional audience. As a multi award-winning artist, who has sold more than six million CDs, Ms Bartoli is a star attraction in our 2008/9 calendar of events and we have been delighted by the response from the local community, visitors to the emirates and interest from within the region."

Bartoli's career highlights include the phenomenally successful solo albums 'Vivaldi', 'Gluck', 'Salieri, 'Opera proibita' and 'Maria'. Her trophy cabinet includes numerous gold discs, four Grammys, seven Echos, a Bambi and two Classical Brit Awards, among others, and she has graced the globe's most famous stages from Milan's La Scala to The Metropolitan in New York City.

The audience reaction was overwhelmingly enthusiastic, from a rapturous ovation and cries of 'encore', to post-concert plaudits from a wealth of individuals including Bahraini-resident Lina Murad, who said: "I flew in especially from Bahrain for this concert. To hear Cecilia Bartoli sing live in the Gulf is an absolute must-see, and her performance was as magical as I hoped it would be."

The next Abu Dhabi Classics weekend programme will take place on January 10th and 11th, 2009 with a concert celebrating the works of Russian composer Shostakovich - conducted by his son - and, in complete contrast, a family-focused evening dedicated to the Magical Music of Walt Disney.