GUEST LECTURES OF NICOLAS DUFETEL AT AL-QUDS UNIVERSITY

On July 16^th French musicologist Dr. Nicolas Dufetel visited the campus of Al-Quds University in Abu Dis followed by two lectures at the music department. He gave a reading on “Orientalism in Western Music” and offered fascinating insights and backgrounds to elements of music history, music analysis and aesthetics.

Dr. Dufetel who has been invited by the Consulate General of France through the French Cultural Center in East Jerusalem and the Edward Said Conservatory is based as musicologist at the Institute for Musicology in Weimar (Germany) and the University of Angers (France). He furthermore acts as artistic adviser and organizer of the Liszt Year 2011 in France.

His lectures focused on the presence of oriental elements in 18th-19th Century Western Music. They were illustrated with works by famous composers such as Mozart, Beethoven and Borodin as well as the little known Félicien David and showed references to contemporary trends in and the arts in order to understand that Orient and Occident have always been somehow linked in the world of the Arts, and especially in the world of music.

 

Nicolas Dufetel during his lecture

The vivid reading has been accompanied by astonishing images and musical examples as well as live piano playing, inspiring the audience to "listen" to classical music in a different way.

After this highly instructive and at the same time delightful musical encounter Al-Quds University hopes to develop further programs and academic events with Dr. Dufetel, the music department in Abu Dis and the new Al-Quds University College of Music in Jerusalem.

 Dr. Rishmawi, Dr. Dufetel and students of Al-Quds University

Article in Al-Quds Newspaper

Mohammad Shanti wrote an article about the development of Jerusalem's new College of Music in Al-Quds Newspaper on June 17th.

AWTAR AL-QUDS IN VIENNA

On May 30th the concert Awtar Al-Quds - Strings of Jerusalem" launching the project Al-Quds University College of Music gathered musicians from Palestine, Austria, France, Greece, Cech Republik and the U.S.A..

The new faculty of music will be providing musical education, professional training and academic activities at the highest level for young performers, composers and scholars. Students will be encouraged to develop their own individual musical language and expression, gaining artistic input and technical skills to better listen, analyze and produce musical works of art.
Music is an integral part of the profound spiritual and cultural life of Jerusalem and of its rich history. The work of the new centre shall be inspired by as well as inspire the surroundings at the crossroads of musical civilizations in the Old City of Jerusalem.

"We are very happy to present these wonderful Palestinian musicians for the first time to a Viennese audience. Together with distinguished artists living in Vienna they have worked on a very special program to bring the ambiance of Jerusalem to Austria" said development coordinator Petra R. Klose in her welcoming note.
"The sounds of Jerusalem today, the Church bells and the Muazen continue to go beyond the 8 meters concrete and barbeled wired Wall, that separates people. Al-Quds College of Music which will bring more sounds through an international exchange, will play the strings of hope and freedom" expressed Huda Al Imam, director of the Center for Jerusalem Studies of Al-Quds University. Theatre director Amira Bibawy was proud to host this unique new project in Vienna.

The program included works by Ramzi Aburedwan, Hugo Wolf, Georges Bizet, Fréderic Chopin and William Bolcom as well as recitation of abstracts from Sari Nusseibeh's book ‘Once upon a Country’.
Performers of Awtar Al-Quds were Ramzi Aburedwan (bouzouq, viola), Ibrahi Elfroukh (percussion), Oday Khatib (oriental voice), Sylvia Khittl-Muhr (soprano), Bakr Khleifi (oud, double bass), Anna Magdalena Kokits (piano), Dimitrios Mikelis (oud, piano), Kristin Okerlund (piano) und Bettina Waldner-Barnay (dramatic reading). The concert ended with a composition and improvisation on Mahmoud Darwish' poem "Et nous, nous aimons la vie tant que possible".

Press release: Der Neue Merker 30. Mai 2011

MUSIKSALON „AWTAR AL-QUDS“ – STRINGS OF JERUSALEM  im Theater Nestroyhof Hamakom in Wien

Am 30. Mai um 20.00 Uhr lädt das Theater Nestroyhof Hamakom zum Musiksalon „Awtar Al-Quds“ ein, bei welchem Künstler aus Jerusalem, Ramallah, Wien und den U.S.A mitwirken werden.

Anlass dieses außergewöhnlichen Konzertereignisses ist der Auftakt eines einzigartigen Musikprojekts: Der Aufbau des Al-Quds University College of Music in Jerusalem.
In der Altstadt Jerusalems soll ein offenes Zentrum der Musik entstehen, das am Ort der unvergleichlichen Kulturgeschichte und traditionellen Vielfalt, aber auch der dramatischen politischen Spannungen und des schwierigen Alltags, inspirierender und bereichernder Teil des musikalischen Lebens der Stadt werden soll.

Im Rahmen des Musiksalons des Theater Nestroyhof Hamakom, einem Ort interkultureller Begegnung und interdisziplinärer Auseinandersetzung, findet die erste Präsentation und damit der offizielle Startschuss dieses neuen Musikprojekts statt. Ziel ist es, zukünftig jungen Talenten aus Jerusalem und den Palästinensergebieten neue Chancen zu eröffnen und einen internationalen künstlerischen und akademischen Austausch anzuregen. Koordinatorin des Projekts ist die österreichische Musikmanagerin Petra R. Klose in Zusammenarbeit mit der Al-Quds Universität in Jerusalem und weltweiten universitären und kulturellen Partnerinstitutionen.

Das Konzert AWTAR AL-QUDS (arab.: Saiten, Melodien, Weiten.. Jerusalems) vereint Interpreten und Kompositionen klassisch arabischer und westlich-europäischer Musik. Auf dem Programm stehen Werke für Oud, Bouzouk und orientalischen Gesang von Ramzi Aburedwan neben Liedern von Hugo Wolf, Georges Bizet 

sowie Werken von Fréderic Chopin und dem zeitgenössischen amerikanischen Komponisten William Bolcom.

Ramzi Aburedwan

Zu den Künstlern des Abends zählen Ramzi Aburedwan (Bouzouq, Viola), Ibrahi Elfroukh (Percussion), Oday Khatib (Orientalischer Gesang), Sylvia Khittl-Muhr (Sopran), Bakr Khleifi (Oud), Anna Magdalena Kokits (Klavier), Dimitrios Mikelis (Oud), Kristin Okerlund (Klavier) und Bettina Waldner-Barnay (Rezitation).

Kristin Okerlund (Klavier)

Weitere Informationen und die Möglichkeit Tickets (à 10 Euro) zu reservieren finden Sie online unterwww.hamakom.at. Der Erlös aus Eintrittsgeldern und Spenden kommt dem Aufbau des Al-Quds University College of Music in Jerusalem zugute.

Veranstaltungsdaten:
Musiksalon Awtar Al-Quds (Strings of Jerusalem)
30. Mai 2011, 20.00 Uhr, Theater Nestroyhof Hamakom
Nestroyplatz 1, 1020 Wien
www.hamakom.at

Tickets: T +43 1 8900 314, Mail: tickets@hamakom.at

AWTAR AL-QUDS / STRINGS OF JERUSALEM, May 30st, 2011 in Vienna Austria

20:00h  LIVE CONCERT

Venue: Theater Nestroyhof / Hamakom

Soprano: Sylvia Khittl-Muhr (Austria)

Bouzouq, Viola: Ramzi Aburedwan (Palestine)

Piano: Anna Magdalena Kokits (Austria)

Piano: Kristin Okerlund (USA)

Oud: Bakr Khleifi (Palestine)

Oud: Dimitros Mikelis (Greece)

Percussion: Ibrahim Elfroukh (Palestine)

Vocals: Oday Khatib (Palestine)

Recitation: Bettina Waldner-Barnay (Austria)

PROGRAM

Presentation:

HUDA L'IMAM
(General Director/ Centre for Jerusalem Studies,
Al-Quds University Jerusalem)

PETRA R. KLOSE (Project Development / College of Music; Music Manager, K&K Vienna)

• "Mignon" by Hugo Wolf: Sylvia Khittl-Muhr, Kristin Okerlund

• Abstracts from "Once upon a country" by Sari Nusseibeh: Bettina Waldner Barnay

• Compositions, Arrangements of classic oriental Music by Ramzi Aburedwan: Bakr Khleifi, Ramzi Aburedwan, Dimitrios Mikelis, Ibrahim Elfroukh, Oday Khatib

• "Nine Bagatelles" by William Bolcom: Anna Magdalena Kokits

• Nocturne in F minor, op.55/1 by Frederic Chopin: Anna Magdalena Kokits

• "Adieu de l'hôtesse arabe'' by Georges Bizet: Sylvia Khittl-Muhr, Kristin Okerlund

The concert evening AWTAR AL-QUDS (Strings of Jerusalem) combines interpreters and compositions of classic oriental and western European music. The program includes works for Oud, Bouzok, Viola and Piano by Ramzi Aburedwan, Hugo Wolf, Georges Bizet, Fréderic Chopin and William Bolcom as well as recitation of abstracts from ‘Once upon a land’ by Sari Nusseibeh.

The evening is launching the project ‘College of Music’ which is being developed by the Al-Quds University in Jerusalem. The new faculty of music will be providing musical education, professional training and academic activities at the highest level for young performers, composers and scholars. Students will be encouraged to develop their own individual musical language and expression, gaining artistic input and honing their technical skills to better listen, analyze and produce musical works of art. Music is an integral part of the profound spiritual and cultural life of Jerusalem and of its rich history. The work of the new centre shall be inspired by as well as inspire the surroundings at the crossroads of musical civilizations in the Old City of Jerusalem. 

Concert ticket takings & donations will be provided to the project.

www.alquds.edu


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