9 April - Third Day of MECMA
Establishing Dubai as the hub of classical music excellence, The Middle East Classical Music Academy (MECMA) has officially launched, with the first masterclasses taking place on 7 April. The elegant affair is officially back for its 2025 iteration with an inspiring programme featuring masterclasses, lectures, seminars, and nearly daily concerts from the 6th to the 21st of April.
On Wednesday, 9 April, the third day of MECMA continued with a packed schedule of exhilarating masterclasses and a standout concert performance that showcased some of the academy’s brightest young talents alongside top-tier pedagogues.
The event started off promptly at 9:30 a.m. with an array of orchestral masterclasses held in the Sky Zayed Room on the 40th floor and the Emerald Room on the 5th floor by professors Yana Kasiyan, Kuldzhanova Aijan, Ekaterina Zaboronok and Birzhan Uteliev, including appearances by the MECMA Symphony and Kurmangazy Symphony. These group sessions were all about teamwork, timing, and learning how to perform as a cohesive unit, imparting key skills to aspiring musicians.
The schedule also featured a series of informative individual masterclasses themed around the instruments of piano, strings, winds and more. Students first made their way to the sophisticated rooms of Dalia and Dania on the 6th floor to immerse themselves in illuminating lectures on the grand piano by Giuliano Mazzoccante (Italy), a renowned pianist who has won over 50 national and international competitions and celebrated pianist, conductor and music producer Albert Mamriev (Germany). This was followed by a class on the bassoon in Room 3 Sapphire on the 5th floor led by Daniel Ortuño (Spain), principal bassoon in the Franz Schubert Filharmonia and the Barcelona Municipal Band along with a delightful musical training lesson by none other than multi-award-winning violinist celebrated as one of the most talented musicians of his generation, Giuseppe Gibboni (Italy).
Following a magnetic masterclass, Gibboni expressed his excitement about being part of MECMA, saying, ''The atmosphere in this hotel is truly beautiful, enriched by the presence of numerous talented and motivated musicians. I was pleasantly surprised when I entered and saw so many pianists practising, along with many students attending classes and actively listening to the masterclasses. It really creates a wonderful environment, and this is thanks to the excellent organisation behind MECMA. In today's short masterclasses, I focused on improving students' performance and presentation of artistic works by enhancing interpretation and occasionally adjusting fingering and bowing techniques, among other details.''
A participant of the lecture, Enza Rendina from Puglia's Conservatorio dell'Aquila, remarked, ''Maestro Gibboni gave me a new vision of the violin virtuosa repertoire, inspiring me to focus on the technical passages within it. I worked on Sarasate's "La Zingaresca" and Paganini's Caprice, both of which were very fascinating. Through this process, I developed a new approach to the technical aspects of playing the violin, which allowed me to feel more free and comfortable with the instrument.''
She continued, ''I absolutely recommend MECMA because it offers a unique experience that connects you with expert musicians. One of the most enjoyable aspects is having the opportunity to interact with them before and after the concerts. For instance, my meeting with Maestro Gibboni was particularly special as seeing him up close and understanding his various techniques was invaluable. After the concert, you also get the opportunity to observe the maestro and then take a lesson, allowing you to analyse how they produce particular sounds and gain deeper insights into their playing style."
Expressing similar sentiments, another attendee exclaimed, ''Dubai is a magnificent city, and everything here is very beautiful. I highly recommend MECMA as an academy because it helps students understand their musical instruments better.''
Attendees were also treated to a special class by Alan Chircop (Malta), a distinguished conductor with a highly diverse repertoire who presented a course on professional development for music teachers. This was then succeeded by a fabulous daytime concert featuring the renowned Kazakh State Symphony Orchestra, the leading musical group of the Republic of Kazakhstan and MECMA's Orchestra-in-Residence.
The musical event showcased the talents of soloist Miroslav Kultyshev, a gifted pianist recognised for receiving the German Order of the Griffin in acknowledgement of his contributions to the art of music. He performed under the baton of Mikhail Kirchhoff, principal conductor of the Kaliningrad Music Theatre, Eurasian Stars Festival and Ak Ertis Festival. What's more, standout academy students were also given the extraordinary opportunity to join these masterful professionals from worldwide in live performances on stage.
As the busy day came to a close, students returned to their lavish city centre accommodation with the option to explore Dubai's cultural offerings and the opportunity to attend the renowned InClassica International Music Festival 2025.
For regular updates about MECMA and more information on its offerings, visit our official website for the latest news.
