Eighteen ISM musicians graced the stage in Slovakia last week as they joined the first Nord Anglia / Juilliard School European and Middle East Regional Music Festival.
Held at the Nord Anglia School in Bratislava between Thursday the 28th of March and Sunday the 31st of March, the festival saw over 150 young musicians showcase some outstanding performances. With Orchestra, Jazz and Choir, the Festival was a spectacular celebration of music.
At the International School of Moscow, students had been working through the musical repertoire since January, eager to collaborate with their peers from the family of Nord Anglia Education schools and travel to Bratislava.
The Festival's guest conductor, Jesse Brault, who currently studies orchestral conducting at the Juilliard School with Maestro Alan Gilbert was able to inspire young musicians and spark much musical magic. ISM's orchestra students were lucky enough to work with Mr Brault on a challenging repertoire from composers such as Tchaikovsky, Brahm, Rossini and Mozart.
ISM singers were able to join over 90 students from other Nord Anglia schools in the magnificent choir. Maksim Taptygin and Maria Zakharova featured in one of the central choir pieces as soloists, proving to be excellent performers.
Sophia Eberhard Zolle, a Year 9 student, said: “The Festival was an amazing experience! We got to sing all types of songs as well as meet with other students from Nord Anglia schools around the world. I miss it a lot!”
The finale concert which took place in the iconic Slovak Radio building was a huge success, culminating in a joint performance of Faure's famous ‘Pavane’. Both students and teachers are looking forward to participating in the festival again next year, which promises to include some elements of Dance and Drama.
