Celebrity pianist Omar Harfouch brings ‘Concerto for Peace’ to Dubai to counter fake news and spotlight city’s safety

Dubai: Legendary Franco-Lebanese pianist Omar Harfouch, fresh from performing in some of the world’s most powerful rooms, is a man on a mission in Dubai.

A few days ago, he had played for Pope Francis at the Vatican, and just before that, his Concerto for Peace was staged at Mar-a-Lago, the estate of Donald Trump, where a high-profile audience, including Caitlyn Jenner, gathered.

And then, he chose Dubai.

“I saw news that were just fake news about this region! I didn’t understand why they were not giving a more reality [realistic] image,” he tells Gulf News ahead of his invite-only Concerto for Peace at Steinway & Sons tonight on April 3.

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His response to stage Concerto for Peace, right off the Mar-a-Lago and the Vatican leg, was instinctive and deeply personal.

“I decided to do against all what people can imagine, I decided to fly to Dubai to be with my people here and in my city, because I consider Dubai is my city,” he says.

His quartet musicians from France have joined him in the UAE for what he describes as a concert of solidarity.

For Harfouch, this isn’t about optics alone, it’s about presence.

“What is better than being here, having 300 VIP persons and amazing people coming to my concert in Dubai, to show on media, social media that we are living normally and peacefully here. After this I head to perform at the European parliament,” he says.

A concert as counter-narrative

At a time of heightened tension, his Concerto for Peace has become a quiet act of reassurance. He landed in Dubai a week ago to get ready for the big night tonight.

“I want to use my influence, my popularity, in Europe and in the world, to show that Dubai is safe and Dubai is really in peace.”

It’s also his way of giving back to a city he feels deeply connected to.

“We are millions living in this country feeling safe and like equals,” he says.

That global spotlight hasn’t come without criticism.

“When I played in Mar-a-Lago, some people were not happy,” he says, “Orlando Bloom sent me a message saying this is not the right place to play ... But to me Mar-a-Lago is also a place that decides about peace too."

But perceptions, he adds, have shifted.

“After seeing my Dubai posts, he told me if the situation was better, he would love to be there.” But both Orlando and actress Naomi Watts, who was hoping to attend his concert tonight, couldn't make it.

But it's not for the celebrities that he performs for. This time around, it's for Dubai and its indomitable resilient spirit.

He feels Dubai’s strength lies not in spectacle, but in its people.

“Different origins, different nationalities, and they all arrive to rebuild a new life.”

What stands out most, he adds, is the shared sense of purpose.

“You talk to them, you see that they are happy,” he says.

And that happiness, he believes, is rooted in equality and opportunity.

“The person who work on the beach or at the bank is equal, because he came to this place for the same reasons,” he adds.

Music without borders

Harfouch’s journey, from the Cannes red carpet, to the Vatican to Mar-a-Lago to Dubai, reflects a philosophy that transcends geography.

“I myself, I don’t have border, for me, the universe is one place.”

His music, he insists, carries intention beyond performance.

“I’m not creating music just for music, I’m creating a music with sense and with content and performing close to the people who decide peace is my way of brokering peace."

Born in war, playing for peace

The emotional core of his work is rooted in memory. He was born in Lebanon that has seen unrest and conflict.

“I was born in civil war, all my life, when I was young, I didn’t know what peace was,” he says.

The experience left a lasting imprint.

“When I fly aboard to study music, I couldn’t sleep, because there were no bombing at night, for me, it was not normal to hear those sounds.”

Today, that child’s perspective defines his purpose.

“I’m just trying to explain my own life as a child, I was this kid who craved for peace! I am playing for such children around the world.” he says. And tonight, what warmed his heart is that his fans are sliding into his DMs to ask for invites.

“I have already 300 requests, from very nice people,” he says, “I don’t know how we’re going to fit all these people, maybe they can stay standing up.”

But logistics are secondary to meaning.

“The fact is that we are going all together to be in the same room, to play for peace. My weapon is only piano. My concerto for Peace start with war, and then comes to resilience, love and hope.”