Media Kit for Bahamas National Symphony Orchestra.

Support your Symphony Orchestra: April 25 Concert
 

On April 25, 2009, the Bahamas National Symphony Orchestra will perform its first gala concert as a national entity. The orchestra, founded in 1991and formerly known as the Bahamas Concert Orchestra, was awarded this national honour by the government of the Bahamas on September 3, 2008. The concert will take place at St. Andrews Presbyterian Kirk, Princes Street at 8.00 p.m.

This forty member orchestra, which is the Bahamas’ only symphony orchestra, brings together musicians of all ages including several young string apprentices who will be the future of the orchestra. The BNSO welcomes skilled expatriates who would like to come and assist. The concert will offer something to suit all musical tastes in its presentation of classical, baroque, contemporary and jazz selections and will be conducted by Mr. Douglas Turnquest. Out of town performers will include Jennifer Hudson from Abaco (Founder of the orchestra), Afrika Karamo from Freeport, formerly and a performer in the orchestra's ‘Young Musician’s Showcase’, Martine Cardinal and Alexandre Da Costa from Montreal, Canada.

Ms. Cardinal, Director of Le Jardins des Violons, a violin academy in Quebec, continues to generously support the orchestra with her talents as she has done for the past five years. This year, she is pleased to bring with her once again internationally acclaimed violinist Mr. Alexandre Da Costa who supports Le Jardin des Violons as their Artistic Director. Mr. Da Costa will perform one piece from his latest CD accompanied by an octet of BNSO strings as part of the concert’s ‘Showcase of Strings’. Mr. Da Costa will be playing on a 1727 ‘Di Barbaro’ Stradivarius violin with a Sartory bow courtesy of Canimex.

Several of the pieces from this concert will be performed at the Church of Saint Louis de France in Quebec, Canada, on June 21 by sixteen members of the BNSO along with the players of Le Jardin des Violons. The sixteen BNSO members will be traveling to Canada as part of the exchange programme first established with Le Jardin des Violons in 2004 and will participate in a week of study, master classes and performance from June 18-25. 

Part proceeds from this concert will be used towards furthering the musical education and training of our young apprentices, an initiative we take very seriously. Two young violinists have recently been sponsored by the BNSO to a Suzuki Violin Workshop in Florida and plans are being made to arrange for a specialized violin teacher to come to The Bahamas on a regular basis to train our young string players. For the past two years the apprentices have received training from the Senior members of the orchestra, a programme which still continues. Opportunities are provided for them to gain experience in Chamber Music playing during weekly sessions in addition to regular orchestra rehearsals.

Our concerts not only afford members an opportunity to play alongside professionals and bring a high standard of music to their audiences as a result of their hard work but they are also important fundraisers for our ongoing educational programmes and for performances both internationally and in the Family Islands. The BNSO has performed on three occasions in Abaco and the people there are eager for us to return. We would like to be able to oblige and also take our music to many more of the Family Islands.

Concerts alone provide only a fraction of the revenue needed for us to achieve our goals and we appeal to the generosity of music lovers and the corporate community to please assist us in our efforts by becoming a sponsor.  Additional information about the Bahamas National Symphony Orchestra, its training programmes and becoming a sponsor can be found by visiting their website at http://bnso.info.

Tickets for the April 25^th concert are available at the Linen Shop on Bay Street, Logos Book Store, Harbour Bay shopping Centre and Maranatha Music Centre on Rosetta Street, Palmdale, priced at $25 or at the door on the night of the performance priced at $30. Wine and hors d’ oeuvres will be served following the concert.

Enclosures: Photographs of BNSO, Violin Soloists and Concert Flyer (click to enlarge and save)