Hier folgt einer langer Dankesbrief aus Ramallah:
Report on the Masterclass and workshop in Germany 28 September – 5 October 2014 The workshop and Masterclass came as a result of the initiative and idea of Torsten Schreiber from Johannes-Wasmuth-Gesellschaft (Wasmuth Association) to the Barenboim-Said Foundation and was highly appreciated by the Maestro.
6 students from the Barenboim-Said Music Centre in Ramallah were selected to participate in this trip/workshop as guests of the Wasmuth-Gesellschaft which paid all the expenses of their trip and time in Germany.
Yara Jara’i – violin Narmeen Jaghab – violin Karim Diwikat – violin Ayyoub Rabha – cello Yasmeen Majaj – cello Natalie Musleh – Clarinet
All students and the coordinator and the supervisor travelled from Ben Gurion Airport by obtaining special permits since they all carry Palestinian passport and the only way to travel out is through Amman Jordan. The trip involved 1 night and 1 day in Berlin and the remaining in Bonn and Cologne.
In Berlin the students stayed in a hostel upon arrival and the next day they had a bus tour in the city of Berlin, an Arabic speaking guide explained the cultural, political and social situation of Berlin as the capital of Germany. Special interest was the history of division of the city with the wall and its renunifiaction. At night they attended the Recital by Maestro Barenboim at the hall of the Berlin Philharmonic. They took pictures with Maestro after the concert and took the after midnight train to Bonn.
The programme, which Torsten Schreiber createtd and organized , involved visits, sightseeing in addition to music lessons. The Johannes-Wasmuth-Gesellschaft hired the Asasello Quartet to do the teaching for the strings students and hired Nicolai Pfeffer , a top clarinet player, to do the teaching for the clarinet student. The Asasello Quartett is well known in Germany. And both, Nicolai Pfeffer and the Qaurtet, have a big reputation in Bonn and Cologne.
In Bonn all participants were hosted by families. Again there were lots of visits to important cultural places and music places where Beethoven (Birthplace), Brahms (Hagerhof), Schumann (house where he died) and Liszt lived and made their music. There was a visit to a school located in a convent where Liszt lived on the Rhine island Nonnenwerth. The school is a normal school but teaches music as well and the students played a short concert together with the students from there.
Visits to Museums like the “Museum of the History after the war in Bonn” and the “Peace Museum” in Remagen which both talk about Germany as a country dealing with its history after the Second world war and the unification of Germany and how Germany overcome all wars and built itself as industrial democratic country, were very important and most impressful points of the programme. The programme was intense and well organized by Torsten. The speakers and guides were of high standard and devoted lots of time and efforts to make the students understand and have a taste of the country. The all did this voluntary for the kids.
We also attended the commencing concert of the Beethoven Festival which takes place in Bonn each year. Performing artists were the orchestra “Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie Bremen” under the direction of Maestro Paavo Jarvi and Arcadi Volodos Klavier/Piano. The tickets for the concert were secured by Rania Khatib through “Deutsche Post/DHL” , the company where Rania , a women from Palestinian Origin, is employed . She is a powerful women, born in Germany and speaks Arabic very well.
We were hosted several times for dinner by members of the Johannes-Wasmuth-Gesellschaft . We also visited a Gallery of Heinz Holtmann at the old Harbour of Cologne and were invited by the owner of the gallery for coffee and cakes at the harbor. We visited the impressful Cathedral as well.
Music: the students received 3 hours of music for 4 days and they presented a concert on Saturday 4th October attended by the host families, members of the Johannes-Wasmuth-Gesellschaft and musicians and journalists. There teachers were there and the students were accompanied by pianist to play their Music.
Buffet reception was organized by all members who brought food they prepared for the occasion and Rania Khatib cooked Palestinian food because it was Eid Adha Fiest. This all happened as well as the lunch breaks and the lessons in an old hotel with a very special atmosphere, directly at the River Rhine in Rolandseck, which is rented by the Wasmuth-Association
Sunday 5th day of departure, we visit a small village near bonn and hosted by a very enthusiastic member of the Wasmuth Association. She has vinery and she invited us for lunch and she also invited us for dinner after the Beethoven festival. This lady visited our centre 3 years ago when Torsten Schreiber brought the Egyptian pianist Myriam Farid to the Barenboim Music Centre in Ramallah.
Myriam Farid is Artist in Residence of the Wasmuth Association and lives in a apartment of the mentioned old hotel. Attached are some pictures and visit programme.