Manama: Award-winning Greek composer and maestro Yanni has arrived in Saudi Arabia where he will be make history by holding four concerts. Tickets have been sold out.
Yanni will perform on November 30 and December 1 in the Red Sea city of Jeddah and on December 3 and 4 in Riyadh.
One venue in Riyadh was changed to accommodate more spectators for the concerts, to be held under the auspices of the Saudi General Authority for Entertainment.
Yanni will perform “a best of selection of his fabulous career, along with 15 musicians on stage”.
It will be open to men and women, but not to children under 10.
Yanni posted about his Saudi tour on Instagram, sharing his enthusiasm about the significance of his forthcoming concerts.
“Just a few days left before we begin our historic journey to Saudi Arabia! Thank you all for your support and faith in me! It is going to be a journey I will never forget! There can only be ONE first time,” he posted.
As the actual trip began, he recorded the moment.
“Yanni in Saudi Arabia (KSA): Witnessing history in the making! On the plane with my daughter @krystalann. The incredible journey begins!”
Once he reached Saudi Arabia, he posted a short clip showing him joking with the media.
“We arrived in Jeddah just after 1 o’clock in the morning ... and it didn’t take me long before I tried to learn Arabic from the media..:) as they all made me feel very welcome.”
Yanni said he was particularly pleased with the reactions following the announcement of the concerts in Jeddah and Riyadh.
“The response has been exceptional and I could feel it. I am now more enthusiastic about meeting the audience. The Saudis I met during the flight described my presence in Saudi Arabia as a dream come true. I am proud of it,” he was quoted by the Saudi daily Okaz as saying on Tuesday.
He added that his daughter Krystalann insisted on travelling with him.
Yanni, whose real name is Yiannis Chryssomallis, was born on November 14, 1953 in Kalamata, Greece. He has spent his adult life in the United States.
