LA FENICE IN INDONESIA, THE JOY IN A VIOLIN.
SARA MICHIELETTO HAS SPENT SEVERAL MONTHS IN INDONESIA WORKING WITH UNDERPRIVILEGED CHILDREN
(by Maurizio Salvi)
(ANSA) - NEW DELHI, 13 JUNE – To underscore the oft-neglected but significant social dimension of music, the Venice Opera House Teatro La Fenice encouraged one of its top violinists, Sara Michieletto, to spend some months in Indonesia developing a programme directed at fostering the promotion of classical music and offering a joyous approach to it to disadvantaged children and young people.
The programme, entitled 'The Strains of Violin in South East Asia 2010-2011', has just come to an end and it followed the broad outline of a similar initiative which Sara successfully directed two years ago in Chennai, in the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu.
In an interview with ANSA, Michieletto told us that she worked in three different locations (Jakarta, Yogyakarta and Surabaya), where she organized nine concerts and two shows, one of which for Radio Republik Indonesia, broadcast live on radio and TV, in addition to numerous ‘Introduction to Music’ lessons and master classes.
In an interview with ANSA, Michieletto told us that she worked in three different locations (Jakarta, Yogyakarta and Surabaya), where she organized nine concerts and two shows, one of which for Radio Republik Indonesia, broadcast live on radio and TV, in addition to numerous ‘Introduction to Music’ lessons and master classes.
"But the greatest thrill”, she admitted, “came from organizing 23 meetings with about 100 underprivileged children and young people (street children, orphans and slum dwellers), whom I managed to meet thanks to local associations and Italian NGOs, such as the Italian Red Cross and the “Comunità di Sant'Egidio”.
In one case”, she added, "15 young people from the Pondok Taruna orphanage were given a course about 70 hours long on achieving emotional awareness through music and theatre, after which they performed two official shows which they designed and produced themselves”.
Glowing with happiness as she expects her second child, Michieletto is full of praise for Indonesia and its inhabitants. “I was struck by the musical potential of this country. Wherever I went (extremely poor schools or rich ones, orphanages, shanty towns or prestigious music academies), I found people with an innate sense of song and great enthusiasm for all musical forms”.
An example? "When I played at the Yogyakarta Arts University, I included a piece of contemporary music by Nildo Sanvido, as I always do, to illustrate different ways of exploring the potential of the violin. I thought” she went on, “that the audience would have yawned away while waiting for the better-known Adagio by Albinoni that I was going to play later. But to my surprise, the audience really loved the piece, and it was greeted with little screams as if we were at a rock concert! It was amazing! They were more receptive than many Italian audiences!"
This part of the Indonesian project has now come to an end and Sara Michieletto has returned to her performances in Venice with la Fenice. And for the future? "I found out”, she answered, “that despite so much potential musical talent, there are no good concert organizations or top-quality music schools in Indonesia, nor are there career opportunities for anyone wanting to be anything other than a commercial musician. Next year” she added, “I might see if anything can be done to fill this gap”. (ANSA).
This part of the Indonesian project has now come to an end and Sara Michieletto has returned to her performances in Venice with la Fenice. And for the future? "I found out”, she answered, “that despite so much potential musical talent, there are no good concert organizations or top-quality music schools in Indonesia, nor are there career opportunities for anyone wanting to be anything other than a commercial musician. Next year” she added, “I might see if anything can be done to fill this gap”. (ANSA).
(Translation of Italian press release by Lorraine Buckley)
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