Orchestra to perform for the first time in Russia at VII St. Petersburg International Cultural Forum, in celebration of the Qatar-Russia 2018 Year of Culture 

Airline is proud to support the Qatar-Russia Year of Culture and further build on its commitment to the arts 

Qatar Airways provides direct daily flights to Russia’s cultural capital, St. Petersburg, and three daily flights between Moscow and Doha

DOHA, Qatar – Qatar Airways passengers on board flight QR279 from Doha to St. Petersburg were treated to an exclusive surprise performance by members of the Qatar Philharmonic Orchestra, who were travelling to Russia for a unique concert in St. Petersburg, in celebration of the Qatar-Russia 2018 Year of Culture.

Members of the orchestra, equipped with trumpets, trombones, tubas and horns, delighted passengers on board the aircraft with a live performance of Qatar Airways’ original boarding music composed by local Qatari musician and songwriter, Dana Al Fardan.

Qatar Airways Senior Vice President Marketing and Corporate Communications, Ms. Salam Al Shawa, said:  “At Qatar Airways, we are passionate about the arts, and we believe that music has the power to unite people across different cultures. This special on-board concert further celebrates our support of the Qatar Russia 2018 Year of Culture and builds on our commitment to continuously provide our passengers with an unsurpassed experience whenever they travel with us. We thank the members of the Qatar Philharmonic Orchestra, for providing our passengers with this unique and beautiful musical experience.” 

The Qatar Philharmonic Orchestra travelled to St. Petersburg to take part in the VII St. Petersburg International Cultural Forum, where they will perform a concert titled ‘28’, referring to the unique diversity of the Qatar Philharmonic Orchestra and its eclectic mix of musicians from 28 countries. 

The airline is widely known for its celebration of the arts, with its home and hub, Hamad International Airport, featuring inspiring public artistic installations such as the symbolic Lamp Bear by Swiss artist, Urs Fischer, through to the more recent installations by American pop artist and designer, KAWS. 

The Qatar Russia 2018 Year of Culture aims to strengthen relations between Qatar and Russia, and to celebrate the vibrant complexity of both nations and their people. Key partnerships between cultural organisations and institutions have produced a rich programme of major exhibitions, activities and events, exploring the past, present and future of both countries. 

St. Petersburg is Russia’s second largest city and is known as the cultural capital of Russia. It is culturally diverse and filled with historical architectural gems, including the Winter Palace and the Kazan Cathedral. 

Qatar Airways flies daily to St. Petersburg and provides triple-daily services to Moscow. Earlier this year, Qatar Airways also signed an MoU with Moscow’s Vnukovo International Airport, Russia’s third-largest airport, committing to a potential acquisition of up to 25 per cent of the airport’s total shares, complementing the strong ties established with the country, and in support of the airline’s existing investment strategy. 

Qatar Airways is one of the world’s fastest-growing airlines, with a modern fleet of more than 200 aircraft flying to business and leisure destinations across six continents. The award-winning airline recently revealed a host of upcoming new global destinations, including Gothenburg, Sweden; Da Nang, Vietnam and Mombasa, Kenya. 

Qatar Airways was named ‘World’s Best Business Class’ by the 2018 World Airline Awards, managed by international air transport rating organisation, Skytrax. It was also named ‘Best Business Class Seat’, ‘Best Airline in the Middle East’ and ‘World’s Best First Class Airline Lounge’.