The Dubai Philharmonic Orchestra (DPO) was founded by Philipp Maier in 2008 — who became its first Conductor and Artistic Director — to fulfill need for an orchestra within the United Arab Emirates. It performs in the city of Dubai. Performances in early 2007 were claimed to be well-attended and successful. The UAE Philharmonic Orchestra performs both European classical music and specially commissioned works influenced by both European and Arabic musical traditions. Philipp Maier resigned September 2012