News
2009 is proving to be the most challenging and inspiring year for Concordia. We are all excited and determined that the way forward will continue to make a difference as we approach our 15th anniversary celebrations in 2010.
Our joyous link with the Worshipful Company of Musicians was recently celebrated at their summer banquet. The Concordia Foundation Awards Fund will provide support for an annual series of prizes and concerts at the Wigmore Hall. The 1st prizewinners’ recital was on Monday January 11th 2010, a significant milestone in the history of the Foundation.
Our continuing work with schools in Tower Hamlets and Concordia Young Audiences performances at Wiltons Music Hall is very exciting. In March we presented Street Cries of London – Let the Children Sing. The children wrote their own ‘Song of London’ and Shapla School produced a fascinating collage of London for schools in Cuba. In October we presented Around the World in 60 Minutes in the Concordia Young Audiences series at Wilton’s Music Hall.
This year our overseas artistic bridge was with Cuba. We took 6 artists from UK and 7 Friends of Concordia. With only 24 hours notice our Cuban guitarist was unable to travel with us and we were forced to rearrange the tour and it was only on arrival in Cuba that I felt we had ‘No man in Havana!’ I simply had no ‘partner’ on the ground with whom to work. Eduardo Martin the famous Cuban composer and guitarist stepped in and added the most exciting dimension to our work. His son Dario Martin was already part of our ‘bridge’ and he not only performed brilliantly but acted as our guide and interpreter. We are delighted that he was able to come London to perform with us at the Chelsea Schubert Festival, on Sunday 13th September at Holy Trinity Church, Sloane Square in The Still Voice Sings Within
Our Trustee and Friend Dasha Shenkman continues to support our concerts at The National Portrait Gallery and we presented Street Cries of London with VOCES8 and Satoko Fukuda (violin) at the Gallery on Friday 17 July to an enthusiastic audience. Our Christmas concert at the National Portrait Gallery will take place on the 4th December at 6.30pm when we will present Every Winter Change to Spring. Concordia International Ensemble pays tribute to the 19th century in words and music. A time of giants: great actors and actresses, great poets and writers, great philosophers and political theorists, great composers and performers.