Fire, Fantasy and Dance 2026 in Abu Dhabi

Fire, Fantasy and Dance brings two grand pianos and eight hands to The Red Theater at The Arts Center, NYU Abu Dhabi, on Thursday 5 November 2026. Four pianists play as one ensemble through a programme that runs from Bach and Mozart to Stravinsky’s The Firebird, Bernstein’s West Side Story and Bizet’s Carmen, including two works billed as UAE premieres. Doors open at 7pm and the concert begins at 7:30pm.

Why eight hands is special

Music for two pianos and eight hands is rarely heard live, simply because it needs two instruments and four players who can think as one. This concert puts that format centre stage, and the appeal is the sheer range of sound: two grand pianos can move from a whisper to something close to orchestral power, and pieces written for full orchestra or opera take on a new, percussive brilliance.

The evening is shaped around movement, myth and passion. It opens with lyrical and theatrical pieces and builds towards dance-driven works full of rhythm and flair, setting classical storytelling against modern dance rhythms.

The programme

Every piece is arranged for two pianos and eight hands:

• Gounod: Waltz from Faust, arranged by Renaud de Vilbac
• Mozart: Overture to The Marriage of Figaro, K. 492, arranged by Heinrich Keller
• Saint-Saëns: Danse Macabre, Op. 40, arranged by Ernest Guiraud
• Bach: Siciliano from the Flute Sonata in E-flat major, BWV 1031, arranged by Mack Wilberg
• Stravinsky: Infernal Dance, Berceuse and Finale from The Firebird, arranged by Joo-Hye Lee (UAE premiere)
• Christos Papageorgiou: Money Mambo, by the composer (UAE premiere)
• Bernstein: Mambo from West Side Story, arranged by Laurent Beeckmans
• Rachmaninoff: Vocalise, Op. 34 No. 14, arranged by Jirapat Leetrakulnumchai
• Bizet: Carmen Fantasy, arranged by Mack Wilberg

The contrasts are the point. Bach’s Siciliano and Rachmaninoff’s Vocalise are gentle and singing, Danse Macabre and The Firebird are dark and fierce, and the two mambos and Carmen bring the evening to a lively, rhythmic close.

Meet the four pianists

Ioannis Potamousis

Ioannis Potamousis is Head of Keyboard Studies at Brighton College Abu Dhabi and on the piano faculty at NYU Abu Dhabi. Described by the Pasatiempo as the New Colossus of the Keys, he has performed internationally and at major UAE venues including Dubai Opera and The Arts Center. His prizes include a Silver Medal at the World Piano Competition in Cincinnati and first prize at the International Piano Competition in Santa Fe, and he was recently nominated as a Steinway Artist. He studied at the Musikhochschule Cologne, Mannes College of Music and Rutgers University, where he earned a Doctor of Musical Arts.

Elizabeth Han

Elizabeth Han holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Seoul National University and a Graduate Diploma in Piano Performance from the New England Conservatory. She has performed in Korea and Boston and at festivals and masterclasses in several countries, and she has been an adjunct collaborative pianist at NYU Abu Dhabi and The Arts Center since moving to Abu Dhabi in 2017.

Yizhuo Meng

Yizhuo Meng is a Chinese pianist, collaborative pianist, educator and artistic leader. She earned her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in piano performance at the Hochschule für Musik und Tanz Köln and, in 2020, was admitted to the postgraduate diploma in Vocal Coaching at the mdw in Vienna. She has sat on competition juries, including the Four Notes International Piano Competition in Abu Dhabi, founded the Chinese Brahms Music Research Association and EMG Studio, and received the German DAAD Prize.

Stanford Yu

Stanford Yu, aged nineteen, is a Mechanical Engineering student with a Music minor at NYU Abu Dhabi, and he studies piano with Ioannis Potamousis. He began piano at five, later adding violin and viola. His awards include the Gold Prize at the Global Finals of the Washington Rachmaninoff International Piano Competition, which came with a performance at Carnegie Hall.

Who it suits

Classical music lovers will enjoy hearing familiar works in a rare format, and the two UAE premieres add interest for regular concertgoers. If you are newer to classical concerts, the well-known tunes from Carmen, West Side Story and The Marriage of Figaro make this an easy way in. The listing does not state an age policy.

Getting onto the NYU Abu Dhabi campus

You need your event ticket and the campus access QR code that NYUAD Campus Safety sends by email. Enter through the East or West Parking or the Welcome Center. By car, follow Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Street (E10) through Al Mina to Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Street (E12) and on to Laffan Street, using GPS. By bus, route 170 stops at Saadiyat New York University 3, a short walk away. For wheelchair or access bookings, email nyuad.boxoffice@nyu.edu.

For more music and culture, see our art and culture listings, the things to do in Abu Dhabi guide and the full things to do in November round-up.