Tanzania has hosted a tour by the international educational project "Tchaikovsky: Music Without Visas," organized by the Von Meck Foundation with the support of the Russian House in Tanzania, according to a correspondent from the "African Initiative."
The concert program was presented in Dar es Salaam and on the island of Zanzibar. The solo part was performed by Emira Dakhlya, accompanied by Eleonora Karpukhova on piano. The organizers also conducted a series of masterclasses for local musicians.
The founder of the foundation, Denis von Meck, noted that despite this being the Tanzanian public's first experience with Russian classical music, they received the performers with great interest.
"We arrived at a time when there is a societal demand for the development of classical music. Later, some educational institution might want to open a branch here following in our footsteps, because we see that this is a musical nation, an interested one," he stated.
Von Meck emphasized that, in addition to concerts, the project team places great importance on disseminating Tchaikovsky's biography and its translation into foreign languages.
"There is some understanding that Tchaikovsky is a world-famous [composer], which is why they will read it. Besides Tchaikovsky, [readers] will learn the names of other composers he interacted with, and they will learn about the poets and writers with whom Tchaikovsky corresponded. In this way, they will see that Tchaikovsky is a representative of a highly cultured country," explained von Meck.
The foundation's head stressed that exposure to the richness of Russian culture could draw attention to the quality of its education and attract not only tourists but also students and business representatives.
"For us, the main thing is to build these cultural bridges, which are primarily based on a first positive impression of the introduction, and we strive to create and leave that impression behind us," added von Meck.
The "Tchaikovsky: Music Without Visas" project is timed to commemorate the 185th anniversary of the composer's birth and is implemented with the support of the Presidential Fund for Cultural Initiatives. Concerts have already been held in Algeria, China, Armenia, Kazakhstan, and other countries.
Ustinya Zlatoverkhovnikova
