Western classical music followers will be treated to a full orchestra concert on Sept 4 as the 14 musicians of the German Tubingen Chamber Orchestra will perform in Phnom Penh. They will be joined by Cambodian violinists Uy Tach and Mao Samnang, and by flutist Him Savy who will be guest soloist along with Phnom Penh-based flutist Anton Isselhardt.
This will be the first time in some years that an orchestra of this size visits Cambodia, German Ambassador Frank Mann said at a news conference on Friday. The concert will be held under the patronage of King Norodom Sihamoni, he added.
Established in 1957 as a university touring ensemble aimed at creating links among young musicians around the world, the Tubingen Chamber Orchestra has traveled the world, playing in about 90 countries. Its concert in Cambodia is part of a Southeast Asian tour that includes concerts in Hanoi, Jakarta and Bangkok in addition to Phnom Penh.
Award-winning conductor Gudni Emilsson, a native of Iceland who is also chief conductor of the Thailand Philharmonic Orchestra, will lead the musicians in Phnom Penh.
Mr Samnang, a local violinist who has studied and performed numerous times with foreign musicians, said that he is always apprehensive before concerts, and still wonders how he will measure up with international musicians.
“I’ve played many times [with foreigners], but I’m still scared,” he
said.
And this is exactly why such events should be held, said Mr Isselhardt who heads the Art+ Foundation organizing the concert in Phnom Penh with the German Embassy and Germany’s Goethe-Institut.
“It’s not just to bring in culture from abroad…but to involve local artists in the process” and develop their ability as well as confidence, said Mr Isselhardt who has been teaching Cambodian musicians for several years.
The concert will be held Friday at 7 pm at the Cambodia Japanese Cooperation Center on the campus of the Institute of Foreign Languages on Russian Boulevard. Admission is free. Advanced passes can be obtained at the Art Café and Meta House.
