Klein -- a violinist, educator and arts administrator -- will represent Musicians For Harmony (and New York) by providing instruction in Strings and Chamber Music, and will introduce the Suzuki violin teaching method to Iraqis for the first time in the country's history.
To create the Summer Arts Academy, the nonprofit organization 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 for a remarkable Gala Concert. Allegra Klein, the sole New Yorker on the Academy's faculty, will participate in the training and preparation of the Orchestras in advance of the Gala.
This will mark Klein's second trip to Iraq as a 'cultural ambassador'. In November 2003, she attracted international attention by traveling to Baghdad on behalf of Musicians For Harmony to present much needed funds and musical instruments to the Iraqi National Symphony Orchestra, playing with the orchestra during one of their rehearsals and fostering hope and goodwill among her Iraqi counterparts. Her close ties to the INSO have continued in the years since.
The Summer Arts Academy will be sponsored by the U.S. Embassy, with support from the Ministries of Culture in Iraq. Participants include: 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.
Klein's reputable organization Musicians For Harmony continues to deliver on the promise of its mission to promote peace and cultural exchange through music. The organization, founded shortly after September 11, 2001, has generated growing attention for its charitable efforts in the years since. Each fall, they present a “Concert For Peace" in New York City, featuring internationally renowned classical and world music artists. In fact, The New Yorker recently praised: “The annual observances of the anniversary of the September 11th attacks have given weight to what used to be a blank space in the classical schedule ..."
This year, Musicians For Harmony celebrates its Sixth Anniversary “Concert For Peace" with a September 11, 2007 performance at Symphony Space. At this special event, international stars will share the stage with acclaimed classical musicians for what promises to be a memorable evening. The concert will feature three world premieres, as unique instruments including the kora and pipa will be showcased alongside more familiar classical fare. Featured artists include pianist Claude Frank with Arnold Steinhardt, violin, Michael Tree, viola and Peter Wiley, cello (Guarneri Quartet); the return of The Shanghai Quartet; virtuoso pipa player Wu Man, who will perform a world premiere solo piece “Soliloquio Serrano" by the Peruvian-Jewish-Chinese composer Gabriela Lena Frank; and Musique Sans Frontires, who will be joined by Malian kora player Yacouba Sissoko for two world premiere performances, “Siya" by Sissoko and “Couleurs du March" by MFH's Artistic Director, Patrick Derivaz.
Sixth Anniversary Concert Information:
Tuesday, September 11, 2007 at 7:30pm
Peter Jay Sharp Theatre at Symphony Space
Broadway at 95th Street, New York City
Box Office: 212-864-5400 or www.symphonyspace.org
Ticket prices: $35, $75, $125 (includes reception with artists following concert)
The New York Times' Allan Kozinn, in a concert review entitled 'Sounds Rising Above Prejudice,' summarized the noble mission of MFH as follows: “Musicians for Harmony was founded after the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, in the hope that music might foster understanding between cultures. It has raised money for causes that have included support for the survivors of the attacks and underwriting for Iraq's national orchestra. Classical and folk musicians mingle in its resident ensemble, Musique Sans Frontires, and the organization is about to start workshops in New York City schools, using instruments from different cultures..."
Classical Domain praised: “Founder Allegra Klein is attempting to redefine what a memorial response should be in a world where contemplation loses out to competing agendas. Klein and [artistic director] Patrick Derivaz have found a way to keep a link between cultures, while the world and the media are focused on creating distinctions."
The funds raised through Musicians For Harmony's concerts and other events over the last six years have been donated to peace-oriented charities such as Safe Horizon's September 11th Fund and Doctors Without Borders, though smaller organizations like the Iraqi National Symphony Orchestra and Patch Adams' Gezundheit! Institute have also benefited. Each beneficiary is carefully selected by a committee of Musicians For Harmony musicians and Board members, and representatives from the charities are invited to speak about their causes at the concerts.
This year, Musicians For Harmony will focus on cultivating understanding and community amid teenagers more accustomed to regional and cultural conflict. The first beneficiary for the September 11th concert will be Seeds of Peace, a non-profit, non-political organization that helps teenagers from regions of conflict learn the skills of making peace. The second beneficiary will be MFH's growing Educational Workshop Program, to continue to support instruction in world music for young people in New York City's public schools.
In The New York Daily News, veteran music critic David Hinckley interviewed Klein for a feature entitled 'Music's Healing Touch.' Hinckley noted: “Finding things that hold the world together can be harder than finding things to blow it apart, which makes it heartening that...years after 9/11, ordinary people keep bringing light from that day's darkness."
Allegra Klein and Patrick Derivaz continue to convert 'hope' into 'action,' and 'darkness' into 'light.' The result is a worthy organization that is sure to continue to grow in both scope and stature.
www.musicians4harmony.org
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