8 April - Second Day of MECMA
Running until the 21st of April, the Middle East Classical Music Academy (MECMA) made a grand return to Dubai, UAE, yesterday. This intensive two-week project comprises classes, lectures, and seminars, offering masterclasses for youth orchestras and individuals in different categories, including violin, cello, flute, clarinet, bassoon, and many others led by a host of internationally acclaimed pedagogues and professors, along with a series of daily lunchtime concerts featuring renowned soloists, orchestras and conductors.
With MECMA now well underway, attendees gathered at Dubai's 5-star hotel, Jumeirah Zabeel Saray and Two Seasons Hotel, to immerse themselves in another rigorous day filled with masterclasses, rehearsals, and seminars.
On Tuesday, 8th April 2025, activities began promptly at 9:00 a.m., starting off with an array of orchestral masterclasses held in the Sky Zayed Room on the 40th floor and the Emerald Room on the 5th floor. These sessions focused on ensemble cohesion and individual growth, providing participants with advanced techniques and performance insights, including appearances by the MECMA Symphony and Kurmangazy Symphony.
Individual masterclasses also continued across various disciplines, focusing on violin, piano and brass instruments. As students flocked to the elegant Room 1 Dalia on the 6th floor, Giuliano Mazzoccante (Italy), a celebrated pianist who has won over 50 national and international competitions, instructed participants on the grand piano. Following this, attention shifted to the multi-award-winning Italian violinist Giuseppe Gibboni (Italy), recognised as one of the finest talents of his generation. In the Sapphire room located on the 5th floor, he dissected the intricacies of technique, expression, and musical interpretation, imparting years of wisdom to each of the pupils during the lesson.
This was succeeded by lessons dedicated to the French horn, conducted by none other than the Tokyo Philharmonic Orchestra's talented horn player, Nishikawa Yuya (Japan). After an exhilarating lesson, Yuya remarked, ''I want people to know that playing an instrument is not just about technique. My objective is for young musicians to focus not only on their skills but also on truly enjoying the music they create. Simply practising does not improve one's musical expression; instead, gaining life experience, in general, will enhance one's ability to convey emotion through music. My advice to young students is to engage in various life experiences rather than solely focusing on technical practice.''
In addition to the masterclasses, a phenomenal daytime concert also took place, featuring the renowned leading musical group of the Republic of Kazakhstan and MECMA's Orchestra-in-Residence, The Kazakh State Symphony Orchestra. The musical event showcased the talents of soloist Polina Tkhai, a Laureate of the Nutcracker International Television Competition for Young Musicians, under the baton of Mikhail Kirchhoff, principal conductor of the Kaliningrad Music Theatre, Eurasian Stars festival and Ak Ertis festival. Select academy students were also given the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to join these prodigious talents from all around the world in live performances on stage.
One of the attendees remarked, ''The masterclass was wonderful! I learned many new ideas and received a lot of advice. I am grateful for the opportunity to attend the academy in Dubai. Everything was perfect. We listened to different orchestras from various countries, and the programme was excellent. The concerts are beautiful, and I am having a truly enjoyable time.''
Tomorrow, academy attendees will return to the vibrant world of musical education, covering every corner of the classical landscape once again. Until then, they will enjoy their stay at a luxurious hotel, complimentary transportation, group lunches and dinners to socialise with their peers, as well as get to explore one of the world's most favoured cities, home to the biggest shopping malls and the tallest skyscraper, Dubai.
The Middle East Classical Music Academy launched on 6th April and is currently underway, running until the 21st of the month. For more information, visit our website.
