Ihab Darwish is an Emirati composer. He has been playing music since the age of ten, and grew up in a family that supported his passion for music and composing. Darwish’s music is a blend of classical and contemporary, scored in melodic and cinematic orchestration. Darwish believes in the vibrant achievements of Emirati cultural production, which heralds ever greater levels of achievement and garners increasing recognition worldwide. Darwish represents the avant-garde of Emirati creative expression. Darwish’s music combines East & West, the tradition and modernity style, big patriotic themes with intimate and personal pieces. His music is strongly embedded in Emirati values and traditions and addresses a number of themes including the hero of our nation Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan (Desert Knight), Abu Dhabi Renaissance (Beyond Limits – Abu Dhabi Renaissance), the vital role of women in societies (Lawlaki), self-improvement, humanity and romance. Each piece is centered around profound human experiences, such as nostalgia for the past, love, pride and strong bond to his beloved homeland. At the same time, the music speaks beyond its discipline and beyond a local context. After years of preparation, Ihab Darwish debuted his first complete orchestral work, Waves of my Life: Every Real Story Begins with a Note, with a world premiere performance at Abu Dhabi Festival on March 14th, 2018 at Emirates Palace.