ISSUE 1/MAY 2014 17
21
WHAT IS THE CAMPUS CONCERT SERIES?
By: Jhade Lai Fook and Tyler Peloi
Formed by the string instrument lecturers of the University of Trinidad and Tobago’s, Academy for the Performing Arts in the year 2010, the Campus Concert Series serves as a vehicle for recruitment and a form of exposure and promotion of the Academy. An essential focus of this undertaking is to be a professional model for the students of the APA. Managed by Lecturers of the Academy for the Performing Arts, its aim is to maintain a high international profile by providing the students and the wider public with professional performances which will continue to grow the concert going public in Trinidad and Tobago.
The lecturers themselves come from various professional musical backgrounds from various parts of the world all of which had experience either in performing in a professional orchestra, or gaining their Master’s Degree in music from well-established Colleges or Universities. Though not nearly large enough in number to form a full symphony orchestra they assemble the instruments and players available to create their own sometimes unique ensembles for which they have the good fortune of having music either composed or transcribed. Composers for the group have included Professor Adam Walters and Ms. Dominique Le Gendre.
The peculiar instrumentation of the group is not always addressed through original composition; from time to time guest musicians are asked to join the fold. Many of these guests are funded through the support of embassies based in Trinidad and Tobago, and all these guests are asked to put on a free and open to the public masterclass on their instrument. Over the past four years the University through the Campus Concert Series has collaborated with embassies of countries auch as Canada, France, Russian Federation, Germany, The United States of America, The United Kingdom, Equador, Venezuela, Mexico, The People’s Republic of China, The Kingdom of Netherlands and others. Thus partnership allows the embassies to carry out part of their mission to promote their countries and countrymen while simultaneously supporting university activity to reach out in to the community through these concerts.
Lecturer Mr. Jonathan Storer says of this collaborative approach, “By doing this we manage to get assistance from the embassies by having foreign musicians come to Trinidad to assist the lectures, by creating a full orchestra, and in return if the embassies require a musician we are willing to return the favour. This helps in the process of promoting the school and giving the public an idea of what the Academy has to offer, which will help to recruit members of the public to join and help build the Academy and maintain its vision. It is also a means of getting the aspiring artist throughout Trinidad and Tobago to take full advantage of the free education provided by the government. “
By joining forces with these embassies, it gives the students the opportunity to gain knowledge in musical forms as well as to create opportunities for lecturers to recommend students who are on the verge of becoming professional performers to join with them to share with other countries some of the music composed by the musicians here in Trinidad and Tobago as means of sharing our musical culture.