Art

Home page

Art

U.S. Navy Musicians Help Mardakan School Brass Band Prepare for Qabala Music Festival

19 July 2010 12:40 (UTC +04:00)

Baku. Victoria Dementieva â€“ APA. The U.S. Navy Five Star Brass Ensemble on July 19 conducted a workshop with fifteen young musicians of the Mardakan Boarding School Brass Band. The Navy Ensemble, which is on a three-day visit to Azerbaijan, shared tips and techniques to help prepare the students for their upcoming performance at the Qabala International Music Festival.

â€œThe goal of our visit is to showcase classical, jazz, and military music, but also to establish contacts with youth and local musicians. Todayâ€™s events allowed us to do both. The level of skill of the kids was very high and I wish them the best of luck at the Qabala music festival,â€ said band leader, Petty Officer First Class Roger Starcher.

The Mardakan boarding school band has been fostering young talented musicians for more than 30 years and is the winner of numerous national and international competitions. The U.S. Embassy in Baku continues to work with this school and other schools of this type throughout Azerbaijan as a part of its U.S.-Azerbaijani cultural exchange programs.

The Five Star Brass Ensemble consists of five professional musicians and is part of the U.S. Naval Forces Europe Band. It has performed throughout Eastern Europe and Africa spreading goodwill and enhancing the spirit of cooperation through its music. The Five Star Brass Ensemble performs a free outdoor concert at the Park Boulevard Mall on July 19 from 20.00 â€“ 22.00, and an indoor concert at the same location on July 20 from 1300-1400. The band will conclude its visit by performing at the U.S. Embassy Independence Day celebrations later that evening.