Elham Al Marzooqi, the UAE’s first professional female Emirati cellist, recently set off for New York, where she stepped onto the iconic Carnegie Hall stage to perform as part of A Journey to the New World, a collaboration between the Reina Sofía School of Music and the Abu Dhabi Festival. Behind her performance was the story of a musical artist who has strived to transcend expectations. 

The show, which took place on November 13, was organised by the Colombian Youth Philharmonic and violinist Renaud Capuçon, under the patronage of Her Majesty Queen Sofía of Spain, who was in attendance that night. When we spoke to Elham ahead of her trip, she was still absorbing the reality of what lay ahead. “If you told me ten years ago that I’d be performing at Carnegie Hall, I would never have believed it,” she said. “It still feels surreal.”

Looking back, Elham’s musical beginnings were shaped by her mother, who founded Abu Dhabi’s first music institute. “My whole musical journey began when I was five,” she said. “My mum made me take piano lessons – my brother didn’t want to, so I had no choice! But I realised very quickly that music came naturally to me.”

That early exposure led her into school bands and orchestras, but it wasn’t until adulthood that she discovered the instrument that would define her career. “I always loved the deeper sounds,” she explained. “People asked why I didn’t choose violin – it’s easier to carry – but it was too high-pitched for me. When I heard the cello, I knew that was it.”

With intense training across Abu Dhabi and the UK, she joined community orchestras, later rising to professional ensembles, including A.R. Rahman’s all-female Firdaus Orchestra for Expo 2020. Only then did Elham realise she had become a pioneer. “I didn’t start off thinking I’d be the first,” she said. “It just happened because I loved the instrument. Now I can say it proudly – I’m the first Emirati female cellist who is performing internationally.”

Her path to Carnegie Hall required rigorous preparation, often under tight time frames. Ahead of New York, she described her routine. “They send the music beforehand, and I go through everything from phrasing to bowings. Once rehearsals begin, it’s full-on, seven or eight hours a day,” she shared. “You have to adapt quickly to a new maestro and a new orchestra.”

Nerves, she admitted, are still a part of the process. “I definitely get nervous. Everyone does. But once the music starts and everything is moving so fast, you don’t have time to be nervous. You just become part of the sound.”

Performing at Carnegie Hall was truly a milestone moment for Elham. “If you’d told me ten years ago that I’d be doing this, I would have laughed,” she said. “To stand on that stage as an Emirati woman playing an instrument people don’t expect us to play… It’s meaningful.” 

She goes on to add, “I hope it shows young girls that unconventional paths are possible.” Her message to aspiring musicians is also clear.

“Just go for it,” Elham said. “Don’t look back, wondering why you didn’t try because it didn’t seem conventional. I was always unconventional.”

Balancing her musical career as a cellist with her role as a qualified English solicitor and Senior Legal Counsel at Abu Dhabi’s Ethara adds another layer of complexity to her life. “People think everything has to run equally at the same time, but it doesn’t,” she said. “Sometimes work takes over, sometimes music does, sometimes my children do. I just remind myself that tomorrow is another day. Having a supportive spouse and family makes all of this possible.”

On a wider scale, Elham sees her achievements as part of a shift in the UAE’s cultural ecosystem. “There’s so much potential here,” she said. “We now have licensing frameworks, the new UAE National Symphony Orchestra, and organisations that genuinely support creators.” 

“I don’t think I’d have had these opportunities elsewhere,” she said. Yet, she believes more can be done, especially in musical theatre. “We bring in orchestras for shows at Dubai Opera, but I’d love to see Emirati musicians included more. I grew up obsessed with musical theatre. Being part of those orchestras is still a dream.”

Her musical versatility and prowess have already taken her from jazz with Herbie Hancock to Arabic fusion and emotive film scores. “I don’t like being pigeon-holed,” she said. “Different genres make you a better musician, opening your mind to different cultures and styles.”

For Elham, the Carnegie Hall performance is a launchpad to the next achievement. “It’s incredibly prestigious – every musician knows what Carnegie Hall represents,” she said. “But for me, it’s a springboard into other amazing things. Under ADMAF and Abu Dhabi Festival, I know the future is bright.”

Follow @elhamzcellist on Instagram