Worldwide Debut of National Youth Orchestra of Iraq Confirmed for Next Month
Gala Concert to Take Place in Suleymaniya on August 16th
Teen Piano Prodigy Zuhal Sultan Forms Landmark Youth Orchestra, the First of its Kind – Grassroots Fundraising Sought to Keep NYOI Program Moving Forward
Details have been confirmed for the first-ever NATIONAL YOUTH ORCHESTRA OF IRAQ: The final gala concert will take place in Suleymaniya on Sunday, August 16th, the culmination of an intensive two-week training course for 33 Iraqi musicians, ages 14-29, hailing from various ethnic and religious backgrounds and numerous regions of Iraq.
The gala concert repertoire will include Beethoven - Prometheus Overture, Ali Khassaf - Iraqi Melodies, Dr. M. Zaza Chakar - Kurdish Dances and Haydn - Symphony 99.
The events are the brainchild of 18-year-old Iraqi piano prodigy Zuhal Sultan, with the support of her artistic leadership team, Scottish Music Director Paul MacAlindin and Allegra Klein, Director of NYOI Education & Cultural Affairs and Founder of New York’s Musicians For Harmony. (Zuhal founded NYOI when she was just 17 years old.)
In addition to the two-week orchestral course, NYOI is offering courses in chamber music and conducting, as well as Master Classes for woodwinds and string players. Orchestral coaches from the USA and UK will provide on-site instruction for the Iraqi musicians: Lucy Wannell - violin (UK); Angelia Cho - violin (USA); Sheila Browne - viola (USA); David Edmonds - cello (UK); Jonathan Thomson - trumpet (UK); Michael O'Donnell - oboe (UK); Lawrence O'Donnell - bassoon (UK).
NYOI’s ‘Distance Learning Project’ has emerged as a success story as well. An outgrowth of Musicians For Harmony's Mentorship Program, which was started expressly for Zuhal, the Distance Learning Project now supports more than a dozen talented young Iraqi musicians who have been paired with music tutors in the U.S. and Europe. M4H’s visionary Mentorship Program, recently referenced in The Wall Street Journal, is a landmark initiative, marking the first time that American musicians are teaching Iraqi music students via webcam/Skype.
NYOI is actively seeking financial support via the grassroots fundraising site justgiving.com/nyoiraq. Any donation, large or small, will make a difference as these young people continue their ongoing road of cultural diplomacy. With this year’s program in place, Zuhal is now looking ahead to sustaining NYOI year-round, and donations are needed. She has already assembled a formidable support system for the inaugural year of NYOI, with backing in place from The British Council in Iraq, Iraqi’s Deputy Prime Minister, Barhem Salih, the UK-based charity Making Music, the U.S.-based non-profit Musicians For Harmony, and Scottish conductor Paul MacAlindin.
Zuhal’s goal is to establish a haven for the next generation of Iraqi musicians, and to have a positive impact on Iraqi and international communities through music, bringing people together in peace and presenting a positive, creative vision from/of Iraq. The NYOI aims to celebrate Iraq’s culture and diversity, uniting people from all walks of life and bringing hope to a war-torn region. They will achieve this through performances of the classical symphonic repertoire, as well as orchestral arrangements of Iraqi and Kurdish folk and pop music, integrating indigenous folk instruments where possible.
More about Zuhal Sultan:
In the chaos that descended on her native Baghdad as the war began in 2003, Zuhal experienced little in the way of a normal childhood. The once prestigious Baghdad Music and Ballet School, where she was a scholarship student, was on the brink of collapse, as most of the teachers fled the country. Zuhal recalls that just being seen on the streets of Baghdad with an instrument case became dangerous, as it was viewed as a sign of wealth and Western cultural values. Yet even in the absence of professional instructors, and in the face of extraordinary adversity, Zuhal and her fellow students managed to keep the school open, and teach themselves.
About Musicians For Harmony:
The underlying mission of Musicians For Harmony is to promote peace and cultural exchange through music. Allegra Klein's organization, founded shortly after September 11, 2001, has earned significant and growing attention for its charitable efforts in the years since. Each fall, they present a concert in New York City featuring internationally renowned classical and world music artists. Here is a re-cap of M4H's recent efforts in Iraq:
Gala Concert to Take Place in Suleymaniya on August 16th
Teen Piano Prodigy Zuhal Sultan Forms Landmark Youth Orchestra, the First of its Kind – Grassroots Fundraising Sought to Keep NYOI Program Moving Forward
Details have been confirmed for the first-ever NATIONAL YOUTH ORCHESTRA OF IRAQ: The final gala concert will take place in Suleymaniya on Sunday, August 16th, the culmination of an intensive two-week training course for 33 Iraqi musicians, ages 14-29, hailing from various ethnic and religious backgrounds and numerous regions of Iraq.
The gala concert repertoire will include Beethoven - Prometheus Overture, Ali Khassaf - Iraqi Melodies, Dr. M. Zaza Chakar - Kurdish Dances and Haydn - Symphony 99.
The events are the brainchild of 18-year-old Iraqi piano prodigy Zuhal Sultan, with the support of her artistic leadership team, Scottish Music Director Paul MacAlindin and Allegra Klein, Director of NYOI Education & Cultural Affairs and Founder of New York’s Musicians For Harmony. (Zuhal founded NYOI when she was just 17 years old.)
In addition to the two-week orchestral course, NYOI is offering courses in chamber music and conducting, as well as Master Classes for woodwinds and string players. Orchestral coaches from the USA and UK will provide on-site instruction for the Iraqi musicians: Lucy Wannell - violin (UK); Angelia Cho - violin (USA); Sheila Browne - viola (USA); David Edmonds - cello (UK); Jonathan Thomson - trumpet (UK); Michael O'Donnell - oboe (UK); Lawrence O'Donnell - bassoon (UK).
NYOI’s ‘Distance Learning Project’ has emerged as a success story as well. An outgrowth of Musicians For Harmony's Mentorship Program, which was started expressly for Zuhal, the Distance Learning Project now supports more than a dozen talented young Iraqi musicians who have been paired with music tutors in the U.S. and Europe. M4H’s visionary Mentorship Program, recently referenced in The Wall Street Journal, is a landmark initiative, marking the first time that American musicians are teaching Iraqi music students via webcam/Skype.
NYOI is actively seeking financial support via the grassroots fundraising site justgiving.com/nyoiraq. Any donation, large or small, will make a difference as these young people continue their ongoing road of cultural diplomacy. With this year’s program in place, Zuhal is now looking ahead to sustaining NYOI year-round, and donations are needed. She has already assembled a formidable support system for the inaugural year of NYOI, with backing in place from The British Council in Iraq, Iraqi’s Deputy Prime Minister, Barhem Salih, the UK-based charity Making Music, the U.S.-based non-profit Musicians For Harmony, and Scottish conductor Paul MacAlindin.
Zuhal’s goal is to establish a haven for the next generation of Iraqi musicians, and to have a positive impact on Iraqi and international communities through music, bringing people together in peace and presenting a positive, creative vision from/of Iraq. The NYOI aims to celebrate Iraq’s culture and diversity, uniting people from all walks of life and bringing hope to a war-torn region. They will achieve this through performances of the classical symphonic repertoire, as well as orchestral arrangements of Iraqi and Kurdish folk and pop music, integrating indigenous folk instruments where possible.
More about Zuhal Sultan:
In the chaos that descended on her native Baghdad as the war began in 2003, Zuhal experienced little in the way of a normal childhood. The once prestigious Baghdad Music and Ballet School, where she was a scholarship student, was on the brink of collapse, as most of the teachers fled the country. Zuhal recalls that just being seen on the streets of Baghdad with an instrument case became dangerous, as it was viewed as a sign of wealth and Western cultural values. Yet even in the absence of professional instructors, and in the face of extraordinary adversity, Zuhal and her fellow students managed to keep the school open, and teach themselves.
About Musicians For Harmony:
The underlying mission of Musicians For Harmony is to promote peace and cultural exchange through music. Allegra Klein's organization, founded shortly after September 11, 2001, has earned significant and growing attention for its charitable efforts in the years since. Each fall, they present a concert in New York City featuring internationally renowned classical and world music artists. Here is a re-cap of M4H's recent efforts in Iraq:
- Musicians For Harmony first raised money for the Iraqi National Symphony Orchestra more than five years ago, and their cultural diplomacy efforts continued with Klein's trips to Iraq in 2003 and 2007.
- While in Iraq, Klein met the young pianist Zuhal Sultan, who helped Musicians For Harmony start their landmark Mentorship Program. Zuhal became MFH's Global Youth Ambassador, and made her solo dbut with the Iraqi National Symphony Orchestra with the help of Prof. Rieko Aizawa, the concert pianist and teacher whom she met through MFH's Mentorship Program. Now, together, they are forming the first National Youth Orchestra of Iraq.
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