The African Concert Series
When: 29 Jan to 2 April 2021
The magnificent African Concert Series is the product of the vision of award-winning Nigerian-Romanian pianist Rebeca Omordia. Omordia launched the Series in February 2019 (Julian Lloyd Webber is a patron) at the October Gallery in London, to huge success.
Omordia’s mission is to provide a platform for celebrated African composers to showcase the diversity and richness of African Art music – a genre that Omordia places somewhere between Western classical music and African traditional music. These acclaimed composers are conspicuous by their absence in the canon of classical music – clearly, Omordia hopes to change that.
The African Concert Series is also a place for the younger generation of Africans to explore their African heritage through music and performance and perhaps shape the way they and others view classical music.
Last year’s music programme was streamed on the African Concert Series’ YouTube and Facebook channels and featured performances streamed from all over the world, including the Cayman Islands, Nigeria, Hungary, the US and the UK. Audiences were treated to themed concerts from musicians such as Flutist Wendy Hymes and composer Fred Onovwerosuoke .
This year’s African Concert Series will similarly by streamed on the African Concert Series’ social media channels and boasts a formidable lineup of composers. Composer, Cellist, Kora player and one of the founders of the superlative NOK Orchestra Tunde Jegede opens the Series on 29 January followed by the following outstanding musicians:
14 February, 7.30 pm: Chineke! Chamber Ensemble. The Chineke Foundation are Europe’s first BAME-majority musicians. In 2019 they were recipients of the first-ever Royal Philharmonic Gamechanger Award.
21 February, 7.30 pm: African Duets. Audiences will be treated to music by African composers and strings arrangements of traditional African songs.
26 February, 7.30 pm: Glen Inanga, piano. Inanga, whose name is synonymous with Nigerian classical music, will be performing ‘Nigerian Odyssey’
8 March, 7.30 pm: Francesca Chiejina, soprano, and Adam Heron, piano. The duo will be performing a song recital of music by African composers
19 March, 7.30 pm: “Arabesque: Piano Music from the Arab World”, Marouan Benabdallah, piano. The outstanding, Morocco-born Benabdallah will perform music by a range of composers from across North Africa.
26 March, 7.30 pm: Ubuntu Ensemble, featuring South African double bassist Leon Bosch.
2 April, 7.30 pm: Pianist and African Concert Series founder Rebeca Omordia will conclude this year’s series with a performance of pieces by African composers and Fela Sowande’s African Suite. Not to be missed!
If you appreciate the efforts by the African Concert Series, consider donating to help it continue its exceptional and pioneering work.
For more information on the African Concert Series visit https://theafricanconcertseries.co.uk/
