By Chris Onuoha

Art lovers, especially music enthusiasts will be treated to the best of quality music and performances as Musical Society of Nigeria (MUSON) 2015 Festival opens with the celebration of its 32 years success.

This year’s festival which has an inward approach that looks back at MUSON’s growth is tagged, “Celebrating the School of Music – Arts through Young Nigerian Eyes” and venue remains its traditional base, MUSON centre, Onikan, Lagos from October 14 running to 25.

L-R. Mr Uche Nwokedi, Arch. Kitoyi Ibare-Akinsan, Mr Louis Mbanefo, Mrs Francesca Emanuel and Femi Adeniyi-Williams at the MUSON briefing

This was disclosed recently by the MUSON 2015 organisers led by the Vice Chairman, MUSON, Louis Mbanefo (SAN); Mr. Kitoyi Ibare Akisan, chairman Festival Planning Committee; Gboyega Banjo, General Manager MUSON; Marion Akpata, Francesca Emmanuel, Chief Femi Adeniyi Williams; Uche Nwokedi; Tunde Jegede and Sara Boulus of Society of Performing Arts in Nigeria (SPAN).

This year’s festival will begin with a performance by the selected finalists of the talent hunt Musiquest/Youth Concert and Award on October 14, followed by “My Kind of Music” on the 15th featuring special personality programme where a selected cast of eminent people will discuss their preferred favourite music and how it relates to their personal life, belief and philosophies.

Other features which fall in line with MUSON exclusive creativity are the ageless musical play-”Jesus Christ the Super Star” created by Andrew Lloyd Weber, produced by Uche Nwokedi and will be performed by Playhouse Initiative, a group notable for their formidable act, while ‘Kakadu the Musical’, will take place on Friday 16 and Saturday 17.

On Sunday 18, classical enthusiasts will have a feel of their best as MUSON features a Symphony Orchestra conducted by a German Visiting Conductor, Walter Michael Vollhart. Monday 19 will herald a new introduction featuring MUSON Diploma School Festival Recital by Student artists drawn from the school.

Lovers of jazz will also be having their “Jazz Night” on Friday 23 featuring individual and group acts infusing broad repertoire of jazz – popular and old school rhythms in jazz idioms. These are; The School Big Band, The Jazz Quintet led by jazz trumpeter, Ubong Etuk, The School Jazz Band, The Girlz Rule Band-group of six females, while Ranti Ihimoyan and Phillip Uzo will feature as solo acts.

Society of Performing Arts in Nigeria (SPAN) will also perform a dance concert titled “The Gathering” on Oct 24 featuring dance studios across Lagos.

The climax will be MUSON Day Concert and Cocktail which coincides with the closing Choral Concepts billed to end the entire festival on October 25. This spectacular show will have MUSON Choir perform Gilbert and Sullivan’s riveting opera “Pirates of Penzance, conducted by Emeka Nwokedi.

Down the memory lane, Chairman, 2015 Festival Planning committee of the festival, Mr. Kitoyi Ibare Akinsan, said that this year’s festival is specially dedicated to celebrate the milestone achievements and contributions Muson has made to the Nigerian music circle since its inception in 1969 as basic School, to the present Diploma awarding status.

Vice Chairman, MUSON, Louis Mbanefo (SAN)said that MUSON has been able to achieve its objectives of promoting understanding and enjoyment of classical music through high caliber performances and developing a school of music to provide musical education in the theory and performance in Nigeria since its inception.

The General Manager, Gboyega Banjo while adding to the speech said that looking at MUSON’s milestone, it is really nice to showcase works that has grown proverbially “from tiny acorn in 1989 to mighty tree of 2015”. He said that the basic school has given countless children and adults, most of whom had no plan of making music a career, but have become stars for our concert and festivals.

“It is difficult to think of an area of music that has not been dominated by the products of MUSON School”. He added.