The Music Box. Highlights of this issue... Qatar Music Academy s monthly newsletter. Youth Orchestra. WISE Summit. SEK Int l School.

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1 The Music Box Qatar Music Academy s monthly newsletter December Events QMA will be hosting two events in December. On the Thursday, the 11th of December from pm it will be the first ensemble concert of the year (held at QMA). The ensembles that will be performing are Junior Strings Ensemble, Junior Choir, Junior Symphonic Wind Ensemble, Senior Choir and Orff Percussion Ensemble. December from pm (held at QMA). This event is a chance for the QMA community to celebrate National day before the winter break (Thurs, 18th Dec 2014 Sun, 4th Jan 2015). The event will feature a percussion performance, a lecture on Arab music and two concerts from the Arab and Western music departments. The second event will be QMA s early celebration of Qatar National Day on Saturday, 13th of Please note: Places are strictly limited on a first come, first serve basis Highlights of this issue... Page 2 WISE Summit Page 6 Youth Orchestra Page 3 SEK Int l School Page 7 ABRSM Exams

2 Recognition of Excellent Work QMA has recently acknowledged their four security guards performance of excellence, towards their commitment in safeguarding; and protecting the interest of each staff and the facilities. The awardees are Ma. Lisa Serrano, Subindra B.K (morning shift); Mohammed Ahmed Mahmoud Hassan and Suman Bajgain (evening shift). This recognition is first time in the history of QMA since it was publicly launched last January, All of them have been part of QMA for more than two years, in which they have continuously expressed hard work and dedication beyond expectation. The awarding was headed by Dr. Abdul Ghafour Al-Heeti, Director QMA and witnessed by Marcial Lo, North Zone 1 Supervisor. The aforesaid were deployed by Qatar Foundation Security Department through Teyseer Security Services. World Innovation Summit for Education Dr. Al Heeti and Anne-Marie Pigne guy attended the WISE conference from 4th -6th of November. The theme of the conference was Creativity in Education. It was a wonderful opportunity to hear about the latest research. If you would like to know more click here. Qatar Foundation and British Library Partnership The British Library and Qatar Foundation have partnered up to create a Qatar Digital Library Portal. Marasi will be part of this portal soon. Click here for the portal link. 2

3 The Music Box November 2014 SEK International School Members of the faculty from the Western Music Department visited SEK International School on November 12th. The staff demonstrated many of the instruments of the Orchestra including; the violin, cello, flute, oboe, clarinet, saxophone, French horn, trumpet, tuba and a variety of percussion. The Grade One students had a wonderful time trying to make a sound by blowing into a glass bottle and by vibrating their lips. Lots of fun was had by all who attended! SEK International School at QMA On November 25th 2014, 55 students from SEK International School visited Qatar Music Academy to learn about Arab music and Arab musical instruments. 3

4 European Jazz Festival Master Classes The students worked with the musicians Jean Louis and Bertrand on Saturday 1st of November at QMA. Bertrand focused on how to make the drum kit sound like a melodic instrument. Jean Louis investigated the different timbres you can make on a brass or woodwind instrument. International Arab Music Composition Competition The Arab Academy of Music in Jordan is organizing an International Arab Music Composition Competition in To enter of for more information, click here. Ajyal Film Festival Students from the Arab Music Department, Natali Rimoun F Jouzi (Nay), Nader Abdulsalam ( Ud and voice), Omar Saleh M.Abdulla (Qanun), and Nusaim Abdulsalam (Arab Percussion) will perform in Ajyal Youth Film Festival on December 6, Knouz Al Alhan Bayan Rida from The Arab Music Department appears on Knouz Al Alhan, two weekly radio shows on Qatar Radio with Nizar Abdeen. The show is broadcast on Saturdays at 11pm. 4

5 Family Concert- Animal Circus QMA musicians worked in collaboration with the Institut Français to perform two concerts for young children on Friday November 7th. The concert was presented in English and then in French to many appreciative children. The wonderful narrator for the performance was the music teacher, Jan Peloquin from Qatar Academy. Trip to Vienna and Lugano Anne-Marie travelled to Vienna and Lugano to meet with a number of music institutions with a view for possible collaborations in the future. Some of the topics discussed included: Music workshops, master classes, summer school programs and student exchange. (Pics from top left: Dr. Franz Patay at the Konservatorium Wien University. Meeting with Mr. Reymond, Classical Director of Lugano Cultural Centre. Meeting with Director Christoph Brenner and Ellen Frau. Meeting with Directors of Vienna Boys Choir.) 5

6 The QMA Youth Orchestra Goes Public! By Giovanni Pasini When I was approached by QMA s Head of Western Music Anne Marie Pigneguy to shape and conduct the newborn Youth Orchestra I felt honored and excited to be part of a wonderful brand new project for the Academy and for the Nation. There were two aspects of this initiative that I particularly liked from the very beginning, during our preliminary talks. The first was that the orchestra would have been open to young musicians from all over Qatar, and not necessarily restricted to QMA students only. The second was the will to focus on quality rather than quantity, which in practical terms translates into play less but better as opposite to play lots approximately! With these premises, it was clear to me that this would have been a very serious venture entirely focused on the students and their learning experience, combined with the discovery of the pleasure to play together as a whole musical body. In addition to our work on Western Music classics, like Rossini s Barber of Seville or Strauss Fledermaus ouverture, we joined forces with the students of the Arabic Department to perform an arabic-style song written by Yassine Ayari in a brand new western arrangement written by myself and tailored for the QMA Youth Orchestra. Collaborating with professor Ayari was a very enriching experience for me, and a unique chance to get closer and understand better the principles of Arabic music. At the same time this collaboration gave a chance to the students from the Western Department to meet, discover and play with their peers from the Arabic Department for the very first time, and vice-versa. Starting from scratch and getting to this point would have never been possible without the priceless and irreplaceable help of the wonderful Youth Orchestra Faculty Team. Firstly I would like to thank Mrs Pigneguy, our director, for her illuminated vision, availability and unconditional support. My deepest thanks then go to Ms Rachel Seay, in charge of the wind section and an invaluable coordinator for all the practical issues, from score printing/storing to logistics, to Ms Katalin Varro, in charge of the violins, to Mr Harald Georgi, in charge of the lower strings (violas and cellos) and harps, and Mr George Oro, in charge of the percussions. I cannot forget to thank the students teachers, who gladly spent some of their precious one-on-one lesson time to help their pupils to overcome the technical difficulties of the orchestra parts. And a big thank you to the students themselves, for their hard work on our long Saturdays spent together and for the time spent at home practicing! 6

7 ABRSM Exams The ABRSM exams are available to all students at QMA. The Theory exams will be held at Radisson Blu Hotel on Saturday, March 7th The Practical exams will be scheduled by the ABRSM during the months of May June Grade Level Music Theory fees Grade Practical/Instrument exam fees Grade Grade Grade Grade Grade Grade Grade QMA will be collecting the fees on behalf of the ABRSM in January, Parents will need to bring the correct money in an envelope to Anne-Marie Pigne guy on Thursday, January 8th 10.00am- 6.00pm or on Saturday, January 10th 9.00am-5.00pm. Fees will not be accepted after the 10th of January. If you are enrolling for more than one exam you will need to bring separate envelopes with the correct money in cash. 7

8 Arab Music Department Sharqiyyat Exam The practical Sharqiyyat exam is set for all students in the Arab Music Department who have completed 18th month of instrumental tuition. The exams are held in two sessions during the academic year, the first in December and the second in May. The Instrumental teachers will be providing the Grade levels for the students. Those who are not nominated by their teacher to sit for the exam will have another chance to sit for it in May. The examination includes set repertoire pieces, maqam drills and sequences, in addition to sightreading requirements. Students of all levels should prepare one piece from each list A, B and C in addition to some mandatory pieces. The panel will choose which pieces the student will play. If the student is in the Music for All Programme and would like to sit for Sharqiyyat practical exam they ll have to get approval from their teacher. First session of Sharqiyyat exams for the academic year will take place on December the 13th at QMA. Please see below the candidates: Level Two Nay: Natali Jouzi Level Two Arab percussion: Sami Abu Ghanam Level Two Qanun: Omar Saleh M.Abdulla / Talin Rimoun F Jouzi / Nicolai Vucetich Telaya Takht Takht 1, 2 and 3 meet once a month, every last Tuesday of the month. 8

9 Coming soon to the Western Music Department Personal Instrumental Recitals We are pleased to confirm the timings of the upcoming personal instrumental recitals which will be held in Ziriab Hall November & December Staff name Taehyun Kim Timing Sun 30 Nov: 6.00pm pm Rachel Seay - Daniel Edelhoff - Philipp Rebmann - Dimo Pishtyalov Claire Glago - Tamas Marschall Jo Cathrine Mohamed Sharara - Islam El Hefnawy Katalin Varró Elizaveta Hesse - Dmitri Torchinsky Lorena Manescu - Aleksandr Haskin Sun 30 Nov: 6.30pm pm Mon 1 Dec: 5.30pm 6.30pm Mon 1 Dec: 6.30pm 7.00pm Mon 1 Dec: 7.00pm 7.30pm Sun 7 Dec: 6.15pm pm Mon 8 Dec: 6.00pm 7.00pm Tues 9 Dec: 6.00pm-7.00pm Performers must wear performance attire: black trousers/long black skirt, white shirt /blouse, black shoes and black socks/stockings Performers please give your accompanist ( Debbie or Ai) the music as soon as possible and arrange for a rehearsal. Attention all Academic Programme, First Study Pianists! By Deborah Armstrong I hope you re all practicing madly for your internal piano exam which will take place during the afternoons of December 4,th 5th and 6th in room 37. Your piano teacher can give you the time of your exam if you don t already have it, or you can find it in the exam schedule posted in the foyer of QMA. 2 pieces chosen in consultation with child s piano teacher For Levels 1 and Above: One baroque piece One classical piece One etude Here again are the requirements: For both preparatory levels: 2 pieces from Dozen a Day We look forward very much to hearing you play then! 9