American Voices to Unite Five Iraqi Orchestras as Part of Landmark Summer Performing Arts Academy
The first project of its kind in the history of Iraq
Classical, Jazz, Theater, Dance, Hip Hop -- Cultural Diplomacy Comes to the War Zone, as Free Educational Curriculum is Confirmed for July
American Voices will unite five Iraqi Orchestras on one stage this July, as part of The Iraq Summer Performing and Visual Arts Academy. The Academy -- the first project of its kind in the history of Iraq -- will deliver an American educational experience to nearly 300 of the country's aspiring performers.
American Voices will literally transport a faculty of U.S. and European music, dance and theater instructors to Northern Iraq to create a multi-day educational opportunity for young Iraqi artists. In addition to providing free training, American Voices will unite all of Iraq's four orchestras, as well as a newly formed Youth Orchestra, on one stage.
As recently seen in All About Jazz, Musical America, IAJE News, Houston Business Journal and more, and soon to be featured in JazzTimes Magazine and elsewhere, the Summer Arts Academy aims to provide an oasis of calm in which Iraqis can continue their musical / artistic work unimpeded... Read the IAJE write-up.
Arts educators from the U.S. and Europe will come to Northern Iraq/Kurdish Autonomous Regions to provide free, in-depth instruction in Jazz, Classical, Chamber music and more. Dance studies will include Ballet, Jazz and Hip Hop, while Theater sessions will incorporate selections from popular Broadway shows. The Summer Arts Academy will culminate in a landmark series of gala concerts, open to the public.
To support this extraordinary, free program of music, dance and theater in Northern Iraq, American Voices is seeking donations of instruments, strings, reeds, etc (including a German bassoon.)
American Voices is a Houston, Texas-based not-for-profit company, created in 1993 by Executive Director John Ferguson. Nearly every international Arts program Ferguson has initiated in the years since has been precedent setting. The original mission of American Voices was to provide quality American cultural programming to the newly open societies of Central and Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union. Since then, American Voices' geographic range has grown to encompass eighteen time zones from Peru to the Philippines, with artists performing concerts, workshops and master classes (as well as interactive performance projects) to over 200,000 audience members in 79 countries on five continents. Millions more have been reached through live television and radio broadcasts across the globe.
In February of 2007, Ferguson brought American Voices into the heart of Baghdad for a historic concert held at the Al Rasheed Hotel and sponsored by the U.S. Embassy. The unlikely music and dance program was greeted by a standing ovation from the mostly Iraqi audience. Featuring Vocalist and Dancer Michael Parks Masterson and Ferguson on piano, the concert culminated in a joint performance with the Iraqi National Symphony Orchestra performing a jazz and Broadway repertoire for the first time in its history. Under Secretary of State for Public Diplomacy Karen Hughes made an appearance at the concert as well. In fact, the warm response to the Baghdad event inspired Ferguson's development of the upcoming Summer Arts Academy in Northe rn Iraq. (See this YouTube for a view of the orchestra performing Duke Ellington repertoire as introduced to Iraq by American Voices).
The Summer Arts Academy project will be a joint effort of American Voices, the U.S. Embassy, The Ministries of Culture of both Iraq and the Kurdish Autonomous Region, The Baghdad School of Music and Dance, The Iraqi National Symphony Orchestra, The Symphony Orchestras of Erbil and Suleimanya, National Folk Dancers of Iraq and the Institutes of Fine Arts in Erbil, Suleimanya and Dohuk. The Ministry of Culture in Erbil will provide assistance in the form of teaching and gala concert venues, security and local transportation for students and faculty.
THE FACULTY:
A tentative list of Summer Arts Academy Faculty includes:
MUSIC:
DANCE:
THEATER:
The Academy will offer three gala concerts to Northern Iraq's concert-going public in July:
The low student-to-teacher ratio will result in a high level of personal attention for each participant. At the end of the nine-day program, students will have improved their music or dance skills, learned new musical genres and will have been exposed to positive concepts such as teamwork, respect for differences and collaboration across national and ethnic groups.
In addition to its work with young people, the Academy will train members of the Kurdish and Iraq Orchestras through intensive rehearsals with the faculty conductor and woodwind/brass and string instrument specialists.
The academy will conclude with a gala invitational performance featuring Iraqi ensembles, faculty artists and highlights from student performances.
AIMS OF THE SUMMER ARTS ACADEMY:
More details about the American Voices Summer Performing Arts Academy in Northern Iraq will be announced in the weeks ahead.
American Voices is a not-for-profit organization with incorporation in both the United States and the European Union (The Netherlands). All sponsorship donations are tax deductible under US and EU law.
The first project of its kind in the history of Iraq
Classical, Jazz, Theater, Dance, Hip Hop -- Cultural Diplomacy Comes to the War Zone, as Free Educational Curriculum is Confirmed for July
American Voices will unite five Iraqi Orchestras on one stage this July, as part of The Iraq Summer Performing and Visual Arts Academy. The Academy -- the first project of its kind in the history of Iraq -- will deliver an American educational experience to nearly 300 of the country's aspiring performers.
American Voices will literally transport a faculty of U.S. and European music, dance and theater instructors to Northern Iraq to create a multi-day educational opportunity for young Iraqi artists. In addition to providing free training, American Voices will unite all of Iraq's four orchestras, as well as a newly formed Youth Orchestra, on one stage.
As recently seen in All About Jazz, Musical America, IAJE News, Houston Business Journal and more, and soon to be featured in JazzTimes Magazine and elsewhere, the Summer Arts Academy aims to provide an oasis of calm in which Iraqis can continue their musical / artistic work unimpeded... Read the IAJE write-up.
Arts educators from the U.S. and Europe will come to Northern Iraq/Kurdish Autonomous Regions to provide free, in-depth instruction in Jazz, Classical, Chamber music and more. Dance studies will include Ballet, Jazz and Hip Hop, while Theater sessions will incorporate selections from popular Broadway shows. The Summer Arts Academy will culminate in a landmark series of gala concerts, open to the public.
To support this extraordinary, free program of music, dance and theater in Northern Iraq, American Voices is seeking donations of instruments, strings, reeds, etc (including a German bassoon.)
American Voices is a Houston, Texas-based not-for-profit company, created in 1993 by Executive Director John Ferguson. Nearly every international Arts program Ferguson has initiated in the years since has been precedent setting. The original mission of American Voices was to provide quality American cultural programming to the newly open societies of Central and Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union. Since then, American Voices' geographic range has grown to encompass eighteen time zones from Peru to the Philippines, with artists performing concerts, workshops and master classes (as well as interactive performance projects) to over 200,000 audience members in 79 countries on five continents. Millions more have been reached through live television and radio broadcasts across the globe.
In February of 2007, Ferguson brought American Voices into the heart of Baghdad for a historic concert held at the Al Rasheed Hotel and sponsored by the U.S. Embassy. The unlikely music and dance program was greeted by a standing ovation from the mostly Iraqi audience. Featuring Vocalist and Dancer Michael Parks Masterson and Ferguson on piano, the concert culminated in a joint performance with the Iraqi National Symphony Orchestra performing a jazz and Broadway repertoire for the first time in its history. Under Secretary of State for Public Diplomacy Karen Hughes made an appearance at the concert as well. In fact, the warm response to the Baghdad event inspired Ferguson's development of the upcoming Summer Arts Academy in Northe rn Iraq. (See this YouTube for a view of the orchestra performing Duke Ellington repertoire as introduced to Iraq by American Voices).
The Summer Arts Academy project will be a joint effort of American Voices, the U.S. Embassy, The Ministries of Culture of both Iraq and the Kurdish Autonomous Region, The Baghdad School of Music and Dance, The Iraqi National Symphony Orchestra, The Symphony Orchestras of Erbil and Suleimanya, National Folk Dancers of Iraq and the Institutes of Fine Arts in Erbil, Suleimanya and Dohuk. The Ministry of Culture in Erbil will provide assistance in the form of teaching and gala concert venues, security and local transportation for students and faculty.
THE FACULTY:
A tentative list of Summer Arts Academy Faculty includes:
- David Handel, Conductor, National Orchestra of Bolivia and Uncuyo Orchestra of Mendoza, Argentina
- Demetrius Fuller, Conductor, Florida
- Michael Parks Masterson, Dancer, Choreographer, Singer and Actor and veteran of Broadway productions such as Les Miserables and Phantom of the Opera
- Quae Simpson, Ballet and Hip Hop Dance styles, veteran of Dallas Ballet
- Gene Aitken, Jazz and Brass Specialist, IAJE Educators Hall of Fame
- Werner Englert, Jazz Saxophonist / Woodwinds / Brass specialist - Freiburg, Germany
- John Ferguson, Pianist and Executive Director, American Voices
- Healy Henderson, Violinist and Concertmaster of San Diego Chamber Orchestra
- Carole McCann, Youth Theater Specialist, Theater Under The Stars (TUTS) - Houston, Texas
- Allegra Klein, Executive Director, Musicians For Harmony - New York
MUSIC:
- Orchestra training sessions for the Iraqi National Symphony Orchestra and orchestras of Erbil and Suleimanya
- Classical music training for pianists, vocalists, choir and wind, string and brass instruments through private lessons and chamber music sessions
- Jazz Big Band - All Iraq All Stars band
- Jazz Bridges Iraq - jazz fusion with Iraqi traditional music and dance
- Introduction to Jazz program for beginners
DANCE:
- Ballet
- Hip Hop / Break Dance, Jazz and other popular dance styles
THEATER:
- Preparation of selections from popular Broadway and Musical Theater shows
- Youth theater project for students aged 12 to 18
The Academy will offer three gala concerts to Northern Iraq's concert-going public in July:
- Faculty Gala Recital
- Jazz, Broadway and Dance evening
- Unity Orchestral Gala, featuring all of Iraq's national orchestras united on one stage.
The low student-to-teacher ratio will result in a high level of personal attention for each participant. At the end of the nine-day program, students will have improved their music or dance skills, learned new musical genres and will have been exposed to positive concepts such as teamwork, respect for differences and collaboration across national and ethnic groups.
In addition to its work with young people, the Academy will train members of the Kurdish and Iraq Orchestras through intensive rehearsals with the faculty conductor and woodwind/brass and string instrument specialists.
The academy will conclude with a gala invitational performance featuring Iraqi ensembles, faculty artists and highlights from student performances.
AIMS OF THE SUMMER ARTS ACADEMY:
- To offer free, intensive, highest quality study opportunities to young Iraqi musicians and dancers at all levels of advancement.
- To make access to these courses available to those who cannot otherwise afford such summer study courses abroad through the availability of scholarships to cover travel, accommodation and tuition costs.
- Promote inclusive values including respect for differences and teamwork.
- Create positive interaction with American citizens in an educational environment.
More details about the American Voices Summer Performing Arts Academy in Northern Iraq will be announced in the weeks ahead.
American Voices is a not-for-profit organization with incorporation in both the United States and the European Union (The Netherlands). All sponsorship donations are tax deductible under US and EU law.
For more information contact Seth Cohen PR.
