Insight: Sound of music from young minds

In the stifling heat, the strains of violins can be heard from a house in Dubai. Strong, determined notes being pulled through the air. Peeking through the window of this house, over the heads of children playing the music, can be seen a man waving a stick, conducting the sounds and making an occasional leap from side to side.

"Effff shaaarp! Now! Loud! Shhhhhhh, shhhhhhhh, shhhhhhhh, peeee-ano!" he shouts.

With a balding pate, rosy cheeks and a glowing smile, he is a man who might look more at home behind the counter of a sweet shop. He wears a chequered shirt and grey trousers held fast over his midriff with a belt that keeps its place despite the small quick jumps he performs in time with the notes.

Though adults would find it hard not to laugh at this sight, the children are far more mature, staring intently at their notes while hands that appear drained of blood are grasping violins.

Their concentration is undimmed by people pushing back furniture in this Al Wasl Road villa and adults flitting in and out of the room.

Teenagers play their instruments in a row at the back without any of the horseplay you might expect from people their age and they appear huge compared to the tiny figures in the front row.

They play exactingly, absorbed in the half-shouted, part-whispered instructions of the conductor, Riad Kudsi.

A little blond boy sits before the conductor. The juxtaposition of size and strength do not phase him, even as Kudsi towers over him, brandishing instructions with his conductor's baton to the middle row.

Only later, after training, the same little boy is seen hugging his mother fiercely, bothered by how he played.

Kudsi's energy has not waned, although this is just another batch of the orchestra he volunteers to conduct. Other instruments (and their players) were dealt with earlier in the day.

Like a cultural factory, the children come in, practise and leave, carrying their instruments behind them.

The nation's only symphony orchestra, based in Dubai, is battling to find a permanent home and government support, even as it represents the UAE abroad to critical acclaim.

Riad Kudsi, conductor and director, established the Emirates Children's Symphony Orchestra in 1993, and is recognised by the Ministry of Information and Culture. Now, 53 children play in the non-profit orchestra and Kudsi continues to work for free.

Not enough space

In 2002, the orchestra represented the UAE at the Young Musician's Festival in the Czech Republic the only Arab country invited along after sending out performance videos.

"There are no favours done in Europe. You have to be good enough," Kudsi says. "In the end, we were compared to the French children's orchestra."

In Dubai's heat, there is no place the orchestra can call home. Training is done on Wednesdays at Jumeirah Primary School.

On Fridays, the children's parents take turns hosting all 53 children, along with their stands and instruments. The orchestra simply cannot find a space big enough for them, without paying money they do not have.

"Can you imagine asking a kid to bring along his piano?" Kudsi says.

"In the villas for Friday practice, the orchestra performs in batches there's no room. It's chaos, we have to find chairs and space, as the kids bring in their own instruments and stands. This orchestra has been compared to some of the strongest in Europe, which have fully staffed conservatoires. It's a shame."

The orchestra could be much bigger with the talent available here. Previous students under Kudsi have to received musical scholarships to the French National Conservatoire, Chetham's Music School in England and the Indiana University for Music, supervised by Maurizio Fuks, a prominent violin instructor.

Kudsi has been trying to get an independent villa in a residential area for the orchestra. So far, he only has a green light to open up shop in a commercial district.

"So I need 200 metres square, it will cost around half a million dirhams I can't pay that and a commercial district is not a healthy place for a child to spend four hours training with a short break."

Kudsi says the non-profit orchestra is different from the commercial centres teaching music all over the city. "This orchestra is for only the best upcoming talent. That's why I don't charge.

This is to be done on the European lines of a conservatoire I am not trading in culture. This is to bring out musical genius. I've got that with the children, but where's the support?"

Representing UAE

Kudsi's distress is compounded because the orchestra represents the country abroad. At a recent European festival, the children, from 14 different nationalities, all wore national dress while playing.

Representatives from the Ministry of Information accompanied the group. "The attention the UAE receives in cultural circles from the orchestra is very good.

"I was given an award by the Czech foreign ministry this year only 15 awards are given each year to those serving the arts and humanitarian services. I was the only Arab, and I'm Syrian. But I represented the UAE."

The orchestra hosted "with money paid by parents and sponsors" Dubai's first international music festival for young virtuosos in May. Four countries participated, the orchestra could afford no more.

Anyone interested in more information can contact conductor Riad Kudsi on his mobile at 050-633-5270 or Noushig Tuysuzian, orchestra coordinator at 04-343-9159 or mobile 050-455-4817 or e-mail at dxbcso@hotmail.com