Yesterday at the MECMA: Clarinet Concerto with Sergey Eletskiy
Continuing in its schedule of weekly lunchtime performances, yesterday witnessed the MECMA present a concert featuring clarinettist Sergey Eletskiy in concert with the Kaliningrad Symphony Orchestra under the baton of Valid Ağayev. This was in addition to the event's daily run of masterclasses and lessons featuring top professors from across the globe.
As part of the EUFSC and SAMIT's efforts to promote high quality musical education, this year's edition of InClassica is also incorporating the inaugural edition of the Middle East Classical Music Academy(MECMA), taking place from the 4th to the 23rd of September. This educational initiative features three weeks of lectures, discussions and masterclasses in the schools of piano, wind, and strings, led by a roster of international professors and music pedagogues consisting of some of the most illustrious names active today. In addition, the MECMA is also presenting a series of daytime concerts featuring soloists, orchestras, and prodigies from all around the world, with select Academy students being offered the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity of joining these artists in live performance on stage.
Yesterday at MECMA
Masterclasses:
Open Violin masterclass • Daniel Hope
Violin masterclass • Sergei Dogadin
Quotes from Professors:
- “I very much enjoyed the masterclasses, I thought it was of an extremely high standard and I think it's wonderful to have the chance to listen to young musicians, young violinists, and to see how they might go on their journey. Initiatives such as this one are extremely important, I think, particularly in regions that perhaps are not used to classical music, so I think we all have a lot of work to do in terms of introducing classical music around the world regardless of where that is ... But it's particularly exciting to be able to do it here in Dubai, in the Middle East, and, in fact, the violin itself probably comes from the Middle East, so there's something quite symbolic about the violin returning home ” - Daniel Hope
“I think that in addition to classes with professors from all over the world, an important point is that they get concert practice here. This is a big innovation, and it has a huge scale compared to other educational projects. I am very grateful to the representatives of the Foundation for such wisdom. Because after the masterclasses, children can study here and go on stage with it. It is important for them to get this feeling of the scene. As Leonid Kogan said: 'The last stage of my studies takes place on stage.' ”- Sergei Dogadin
Daytime concert: Clarinet Concerto
Sergey Eletskiy (clarinet)
- “I have already vacationed in Dubai before, but this is the first time I am standing on the stage of Dubai as a soloist. It is very unusual to play in such countries, because we perform more in European halls and I am glad that European classical art is moving around the world to Eastern countries and finding a new audience. It is very pleasant to take part in this.
- “In terms of Shor's concerto, my personal premiere of this work took place in Italy a couple of months ago. It is pleasant that such a meager clarinet repertoire, in which there are only a few names and several large concertos, is being replenished with new works in the 21st century. "
Valid Ağayev
- “I have already been to Dubai, but this is the first time I am here with a concert and with this orchestra. The work went very smoothly, and, in a short time, we established a very good contact with the team. When there is such contact then everything turns out right away. Today we performed two clarinet works for clarinet, by Weber and Alexey Shor. Shor's concerto is a good composition, pleasant to the ear, and memorable. Weber's work is a classic, one of the masterpieces of the clarinet repertoire. It was the first time I came into contact with this score, and I am glad that it is now in my repertoire. There is a very pleasant chamber hall here, with excellent acoustics. ”
