There are few places as often overlooked by the millions of tourists who flock to Dubai than its Opera House. A little more than a week ago, on Feb. 8 and 9, the venue swam in the sounds of the Italian composer and pianist Ludovico Einaudi.

Einaudi played to packed audiences, including handful of students from NYU Abu Dhabi. In fact, his shows proved to be such a hit that an extra night was added — to a venue that holds some two-thousand people. He’s classically trained as a composer and pianist. Einaudi takes in what would seem to be a discordant cacophony of sounds and fuses them into blissful symphony; pop, jazz, electronic, folk — the works. Their fusion is greater than the sum of its parts, and while full of variety, it is uniquely emotional and calming.

As he plays, an almost collective meditation falls over the concert, as he encapsulates loss, joy and frustration. For his part, Ludovico would like to keep things simple, explaining that he does not “like definitions, but minimalist is a term that means elegance and openness, so I would prefer to be called a minimalist than something else.”

While Einaudi took center stage, he was complemented by an orchestral array of musicians with other instruments. As they worked, moving projections behind the stage and rhythmic light effects matched their ups and downs — we all began to engage with the music in a different dimension than through mere listening alone. Alongside some of the more well-known pieces such as Divenire and Experience, there were also some newly introduced musical elements, especially during the beginning of the concert. As the performance moved along, the stage gradually lit up, and towards the end, every artist could be seen. As the music reached its crescendo, the audience leapt to their feet and gave thunderous standing ovations.

Julia Tymoshenko, Class of 2021, who attended the concert, described the concert as almost transcendentalist.

“I have been listening to Ludovico Einaudi for the past three years. His music is magical — there is something about it that makes me fall in love with life despite all of its challenges. Ludovico’s compositions have been supporting me through hard and happy times and hearing them live was such an unforgettable experience. He is one of the best composers alive!”