For some of the participants, I, CULTURE Orchestra is the very first opportunity to work in a professional international orchestra. Likewise, this allows them to work with world-renowned tutors, and to give them a taste of high-stress yet glamourous evenings spent playing among stars, in front of an audience comprising Europe’s top critics. Lia Rusu from Moldova, who took part in the 2014 edition, thus assesses her experience:
I've learned a lot of interesting things, not only for my career, but also for life. It is evident that the participation in the project makes other people look at me at a higher level, a fact that improves my goodwill and at the same time my professional skills, giving me new opportunities
This considerable human impact comes at a cost: every year, the organisers of the project have to fight the considerable red tape burden on both sides of the Schengen border. In 2014, two Georgian musicians were denied visas to the UK, and even all the combined efforts of the project managers left the Home Office unimpressed. The Ukrainian-Russian conflict also prevented several musicians from leaving Eastern Ukraine. Other Ukrainians wondered if, playing Shostakovich, they were not betraying their national allegiances. Azerbaijani and Armenian musicians feared that their reciprocal cooperation would be treated as treachery.
Furthermore, such an orchestra automatically raises several questions regarding its artistic output. What should matter first and foremost, the performances or the rehearsals, the process or the outcome, the sociopolitics or the music? Judging from the feedback they received, it certainly appears as if there was no compromising of musical quality for the sake of the high-minded the ideals involved.
The orchestra has grown more and more esteemed in classical circles, garnering rave reviews from several mainstream media. Conducted by the young but already acknowledged Kirill Karabits, who also serves as a role model for his orchestra members, they manage to deliver elite performances and reach for nuances which are rarely achieved by youth orchestras. The Guardian’s review of their concert at the Usher’s Hall in Edinburgh speaks for itself:
Certainly it is worth listening to for reasons beyond political tokenism. The Ukrainian conductor Kirill Karabits was a tremendously gracious guide: he kept the ensemble disciplined and encouraged expressive gestures but often he let the players find their own way
It goes without saying that the project also means the world to its participants. When this journalist asked them what they got out of it, the list went on and on: the atmosphere of pure joy, of working along people from opposing cultures, the chance to improve their musicianship with acclaimed professionals, and of course unforgettable memories. Linda Manoukian, an Armenian violinist, says she will never forget when the whole orchestra unexpectedly sang happy birthday to her after a concert in France.
These young voices are especially heart-warming at times when Cold War attitudes have resurfaced so unexpectedly. Now more than ever, it may be tempting to revert to dialectics of hard power and back away from cultural diplomacy, but surely there is little to be gained other than spiralling backwards into a more destructive past. To those who argue that there is nothing else to be done, I would recommend attending one of the upcoming concerts of I, CULTURE, and reconsidering their worldview while they enjoy the music.
I, CULTURE Orchestra is now accepting applications from musicians who would like to participate in the 5th edition of ICO. For more information, visit orchestra.culture.pl
Author: Wojciech Oleksiak, November 30th 2014.