Invitation to a presentation by Lukas Pairon

November 3rd, 11 am, at the Music Department
of Al Quds University Campus in Abu Dies

Lukas Pairon is general director of the famous contemporary music ensemble Ictus (www.ictus.be) and directs the organization Music Fund (www.musicfund.eu) which gives support to music schools in the Middle East and Africa through donations of music instruments and training programs for technicians able to repair such instruments.
From 2009 until 2012, he founded and was in charge of 3rdParty, a 3-year educational program creating bridges between youngsters in Belgium and peace- and human rights activists in the Middle East.
Mr. Pairon will present the organization “Music Fund” and talk about his PhD study at the University of Ghent on the topic: "The impact of the study of music on young people in conflict (Practices in culture and development – a comparative study of the role of music in development projects, with a specific interest in music and conflict)".

Stefan Heckel - Winner of the first Al Quds Composition Award

"Impossible Grace" a poem written by Indian poet Meena Alexander has inspired the first Al-Quds Composition Award. Alexander wrote "Impossible Grace" while she was poet in residence at Al-Quds University in 2011. "I was haunted by divisions in this city of golden stone and prayers, and the fact that some of the gates are shut to people" Alexander said, referring to ancient gates in Old Jerusalem, and Israel's constant military presence. "And the almost impossible light that edges it all, the mystical Jerusalem."

Selected by a panel of international composers and contemporary music experts, the winning composition received a prize of 1000 Euros and two public performances in Jerusalem and Abu Dies under the artistic direction of Anke Rauthmann, director of the Berlin International Opera. The goal of the award was to encourage the creation of high quality chamber music that combines the human voice with elements of both Arabic and Western European musical traditions, thus celebrating the cultural uniqueness of the city of Jerusalem. Al Quds University was delighted to receive submissions from Palestine, Austria, Spain, Finland, Brazil, Switzerland, Poland and the United States.

The poem "Impossible Grace" which has already been published in the United States in a literary journal TriQuarterly Online, was also part of a pamphlet of Alexander's Jerusalem poems, published by Al-Quds University in conjunction with the winning composition's October premiere.

 

 

 

Winner of the first Al Quds Composition Award is the Austrian composer Stefan Heckel. His composition was remarked by the committee of experts for its special instrumentation, its atmosphere, originality and sensitivity regarding the use of Meena Alexander's text.

Stefan Heckel, who has been connected to Jerusalem in his work as an artist for many years, perceived Meena Alexander's poem as a promenade through the Old City of Jerusalem. He composed a musical equivalent to Meena Alexander's lyrics by creating a musical style recalling medieval and oriental sounds choosing the oud as his leading instrument.

 

 

The world premiere of "Impossible Grace" was performed by an ensemble of Palestinian and international musicians and was enthusiastically acclaimed by audiences in Jerusalem and Abu Dies.  Further performances of "Impossible Grace” are planned for the coming season. The piece was recorded at Al Quds Educational TV in Ramallah and will soon be presented by the Al Quds University College of Music.

Final concert of the Al Quds Autumn Academy

We would like to invite you to the final concert of the Al Quds Aumun Academy 2012.

October 10th at 7pm 

Khalil Sakakini Cultural Center in Ramallah

Participants: Anastasiia Dombrovska (piano), Karl Kronthaler (piano and musical direction), Christian von Oldenburg (voice), Edua Zadory (violin) and soloists of the Schmidt's Girls College Jerusalem.

 Enjoy a colourful programme with pieces by Mozart, Purcell, Händel, Humperdinck, Hubay, Cassia, Ilachy and Liszt.

Music and Philosophy

Invitation to an international artist panel about

 Music and Phiosophy

   8 October 12.00 at Abu Dies University Campus

El Jamal Hall

Panel with music and art performance at Abu Dies University Campus

Participants: Prof. Sari Nusseibeh (philosopher), Peter Tuma (philosopher), Stefan Heckel (composer), Anastasiia Dombrovska (piano), Edua Zadory (violin) and Mike Büchel (live painting).

Participants from different disciplines discuss how philosophy and music are connected and inspire each other.

Al Quds Composition Award Celebration Gala

On behalf of Al Quds University and the new Al Quds College of Music Project we have the pleasure to invite you to the WORLD PREMIERE of the winning composition of the first Al Quds Composition Award.

Al Quds Composition Award Celebration Gala
7 October, 19.00 at Hind Al Husseini College Theatre Hall
Participants: Meena Alexander (poetry), Anastasiia Dombrovska (piano), Stefan Heckel (composer), Ina Hofmann (accordion), Karl Kronthaler (piano and musical direction), Matthew Laughlin (violoncello), Aglaia Maria Mika (voice), Wasim Odeh (Oud), Christian von Oldenburg (voice), Anke Rauthmann (stage director), Raed Said (percussion), Maria Tupay Duque (set design), Edua Zadory (violin) and singers of the Schmidt´s Girls College.

It would be our pleasure to welcome you as our guest!

For further information please contact:
Al Quds University College of Music Project
Phone: 02 6287517
Mail: petra@music.alquds.edu  

The Value of Music in our Lives

      A lecture by Aglaia Maria Mika

Friday, October 5th at 19.00  at the Hamam Al Shifa at the Centre for  Jerusalem Studies

 Aglaia Maria Mika (mezzosoprano) has gained appreciation for her performances by fusing vocal warmth and expertise with academic background knowledge, philosophical narrative, percussion and dance. Trained as an actress and speaking several languages fluently, her concerts have been well received in several countries. Yearning for a humanitarian way of practicing her musical art, she also gained master’s degrees in religious studies and music therapy in the UK. During her vocal studies with Jessica Cash, she read Comparative Literature, Philosophy and Mysticism at the University of Kent. As a visiting lecturer, she has taught practices of sacred music at the University of Kent and the Guildhall School London. As a singer, she also received tuition from Julius Drake, Richard Stokes, Mhairi Lawson, Marie McLaughlin, Dame Emma Kirkby and Paul Esswood. Specialising in Early music, she has sung with Nikolaus Harnoncourt, Robert Aldwinckle, Arnold Schoenberg Chor and the Guildhall Consort at Styriarte, Komponistinnen Festival Zurich, Europaeisches Kirchenmusik Festival, Bregenzer Festspiele, Barbican, St. Paul’s Covent Garden and Canterbury Cathedral.

Aglaia combines working as a music therapist in addiction counseling with a busy performing schedule. Engagements include vocal soloist/percussionist with the Fellowshippe of Musickers, Castitas in Ordo Virtutum by Hildegard von Bingen with Ars Choralis Coeln and and Second Witch/Spirit in Dido & Aeneas by Purcell with Ad Parnassum. She further forms an improvisation duo with a cellist, having studied improvisation as part of her vocal- and music therapy degree at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, London.

Sponsored by the local government of Vorarlberg/Austria, she is giving concert performances and teaching music therapy workshops at Al-Quds University.

International Artist Panel – Music and Fine Arts

On behalf of Al Quds University we would like to invite you to an artist panel withvisual artist Jumana Abboud, sculptor Eugen Petri, painter Maria Tupay Duque and poet Meena Alexander.

October 3^rd 2012 at 17.30 in the courtyard of the Centre for Jerusalem Studies

in the Old City of Jerusalem

For our international artist panels we invite partners and participants from different disciplines to talk about topics related to music.

 In our first artist panel we will discuss how music and fine arts are connected and inspire each other.

It would be our pleasure to welcome you as our guest!

For further information please contact:

Al Quds University College of Music Project

Phone: 02 6287517

Mail: petra@music.alquds.edu