The festival, which will end on Sunday, will see various musicians taking to the stage. The event is being organised by the chairman of Performing Arts Bulawayo, Michael Bullivant, who has staged these biannual classical festivals since the ‘90s.
“There will be a great wealth of music on offer as well as over a dozen classical concerts, there will be plenty of other music to enjoy including popand gospel concerts (in which some of the visitors will take part), jazz from Prince Edward School in Harare, the Hellenic School Orchestra from Harare and a special Africa Day Celebration,” said Bullivant.
He said visiting artistes this year would include newcomers as well as familiar faces, including the Amici String Quartet, Juliette Bausor (flute), Sharon de Kock (violin), Coady Green (piano), Leigh Harrold (piano), Leslie Howard (piano), the Junior Odeion String Quartet, MaryKing (mezzo-soprano/conductor) and NjabuloMadlala (baritone), among many other.
The festival will have three major highlights and the first one being Carl Orff ’s thrilling Carmina Burana with international soloists, a choir of 150 plus children’s chorus, two pianos and eight percussionists.
“Another major highlight will be the first performance of a major commission from Richard Sisson, The Song of the Carnivores, involving 500 children from 10 schools in both eastern and western suburbs as well as the Hellenic School Orchestra, massed flutes, other instrumentalists and many of the professional musicians,” said Bullivant.