Dubai Media City Announces Exclusive Scholarship For Budding UAE National Musician

Region

Dubai Media City (DMC), a member of TECOM Investments’ Media Cluster, today announced it will offer a special scholarship this year to a budding UAE national musician as part of its endeavour to nurture talented young artistes.

The region’s largest media hub’s announcement coincides with its support to the 7th Emirates International Peace Music Festival, an annual cultural and charitable event that will be held from 30 March - 3 April at various locations in Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Fujairah and Sharjah.

Organised by the Emirates Youth Symphony Orchestra (EYSO), the festival will gather more than 40 nationalities under the banner of ‘Peace’ to inspire the co-existence of all nationalities through musical harmony.

DMC has been supporting EYSO since 2004 to help develop indigenous talent through organising the music festival that targets young and deserving musicians. EYSO has also established its first accredited music conservatory to attract UAE nationals and protect the orchestra from the migration of expatriate members. In addition, the young members also gain an opportunity to interact with internationally-recognized peers.

Addressing the pre-event press conference, Mohammad Abdullah, Managing Director of TECOM Investments’ Media Cluster, said: “Today’s youth are constantly looking at new avenues for professional learning in creative fields to chart their career. As a media cluster, we have always supported and encouraged talented youngsters through special programmes. Events such as the music festival offer us a platform to launch key initiatives and engage the community with outreach programmes.”

The Emirates Youth Symphony Orchestra has organized six annual festivals so far to showcase indigenous talent in the country and encourage the participation of emerging musicians. The initiative aims to help the youth develop the necessary aptitude and contribute to building a national symphony orchestra.

Riad Kudsi, Director of the Festival, said: “Young musicians living in the UAE must engage in music education and aim to enrich the country’s talent. In doing that, they will automatically gain a wider forum for showcasing their special skills. Creating a UAE-based orchestra is a step towards nurturing a rich base of talent within the country and facilitating a platform for an international audience.”

According to Khawlah Al Raihy, a previous recipient of the DMC scholarship, said: “The festival has proved a perfect avenue for young musicians in the country. Key support from EYSO and DMC has guided me to be more decisive about my music career and take classes from the Syrian conductor Riad Kudsi of EYSO. Similar events will certainly help more young musicians to set long-term goals and learn from experts across the globe.”

Established in 1993, the EYSO is a non-profit organisation created to cultivate and highlight the talent of young musicians and teach the universal language of classical music to children and teenagers.

The seventh Emirates International Peace Music Festival will include the Prague Youth Philharmonic Orchestra, the best youth orchestra in the Czech Republic. In addition to world-renowned young music prodigies such as Elli Choi (9-year old violinist) and Sarina Zhang (14-year old pianist and cellist), the award-winning Syrian solo singer Miral Faisal will render the Zahrat al Madaen (Fairooz).

EYSO music festivals and concerts are dedicated to charity programmes and entry is free of cost. The proceeds from donations are therefore allocated to charitable causes. The 7th Emirates International Peace Music festival (For Young Virtuosos) is dedicated to Japan’s earthquake and tsunami victims.

For details of time and venues, please visit EYSO website at www.musicnus.com.

TECOM Investments’ Media Cluster – Dubai Media City, Dubai Studio City and International Media Production Zone – has evolved dramatically through offering business friendly regulatory frameworks and a state-of-the-art infrastructure. Its support of industry events comes as part of its long term objective to build a knowledge base for the benefit of stakeholders in the media sector.
 

Emirate:  Dubai

Date: Mar 28, 2011

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