By Japhet Alakam

After its successful hosting of 2014 MUSON festival and in line with one of its core mission of developing talents and giving them a platform to express themselves, the Musical Society of Nigeria (MUSON) is set to dazzle its teeming fans, especially lovers of jazz, chambers, classical and pop with a new concert series titled ‘New Horizons’.

The concert series which is the brain child of the new Artistic Director of the MUSON, Tunde Jegede, who assumed office last year will be a four- part series concert that will run through the first half of the year with the sole objectives to showcase the multitude of talents available at the MUSON choir, present classical music with an access point to the society and act as a meeting point between Africa music world and the western music world.

New Horizons is a brand new concert series which gives taste of Tunde’s operatic, jazz and chamber music, with a difference. The series seeks to harness gifted singers and musicians and create a platform for powerful musical expression. It promises to be months of entertaining and rich music for all music lovers out there.

These were disclosed by the General Manager of the MUSON, Mr. Gboyega Banjo and Jegede,while addressing Art writers in Lagos. Banjo disclosed that Jegede, who arrived last year shortly before the MUSON Festival of Arts, witnessed the display by abundant talents is set to create a platform to bring them up hence the concerts.

For the world- renowned
composer, cellist and kora virtuoso, Tunde Jegede who is bringing his over 20 years of experience to Nigeria, the concert was designed to give a platform to some of the talents already at the MUSON and in Nigeria.

‘New Horizons’, according to him, embraces jazz, classical, opera and African music and will feature some of the world’s leading international artists including African-American opera diva, Laverne Williams, Argentinian singer and flautist, Diana Baroni, the Samadhi Ensemble and the MUSON Choir. The series will open with the first concert on Sunday, February 22 , which is an exploration of jazz and its African connections. Featuring leading spoken word artist, Dike Chukwumerije, singer/multi percussionist, Venus Bushfires, Age Beeka, Imoleayo Balogun and the Art Ensemble of Lagos.

The second concert is scheduled to hold on Sunday, March 29 tagged ‘African Messiah’, a contemporary opera written and composed by Jegede. The fusion of African and baroque music narrates the story of the messiah in parallel to the historical trials and tribulations of African people through millennia. It features the MUSON Choir and the Samadhi Ensemble, conducted by Sir Emeka Nwokedi.

It will be followed by the
third ‘After the Dream’, an opera of celebrated arias put together by s oprano soloist Ranti Ihimoyan, will be presented during the third concert on Sunday, April 19. It will feature Laverne Williams and some of Nigeria’s finest opera singers including Guchi Egbunine, Fatima Anyekema and Chika Ogbuji.