Tuning in to a world of musical bridge-building
Music is a great thing for breaking down barriers. It’s a universal language that has the power to heal all sorts of divides
STEWART McILWHAM President, London Philharmonic
Reports of a new national orchestra for the UAE has caused a stir in the performing arts community, but what will it do for the nation and its expanding cultural scene?
One of the most famous ensembles is the London Philharmonic Orchestra. Although the UK does not have one national orchestra as such, the Philharmonic is internationally recognised as one of Britain’s biggest cultural assets.
Founded in 1932, it has toured the world and holds prestigious residencies at national venues including Royal Festival Hall and Glyndebourne.
Stewart McIlwham is the principal piccolo of the orchestra and its elected president. He has played with the ensemble for more than 20 years and believes it has the power to foster a love of classical music.
“Like anything, it takes time to establish these things but if there is suddenly a reorganisation that is coming from within the country, that’s going to stir up a lot of interest,” McIlwham told The National in London.
He travelled extensively with the orchestra, including to Abu Dhabi in 2008 where it performed for an Emirati girls’ school.
“When you do education work, one of the most rewarding things is when you get a real response from the audience,” McIlwham said.
“You got the sense that it had made their day to hear it. There’s a potential for an appetite for orchestral music in the region.
“Hopefully the new orchestra will lead to outreach initiatives where more young people would be able to learn musical instruments.”
Touring internationally can also bring prestige to a country and is a way of comparing the quality of the orchestra with others, said Timothy Walker, the Philharmonic’s chief executive and artistic director.
“Touring is good for the morale of the players because of the esprit de corps you have, as opposed to the standard working life of the musician in London,” Mr Walker said.
“For touring instrumentalists, you are an ambassador for the country and you are showcasing your country’s culture abroad.”
As well as entertaining, touring orchestras have often been used to help heal fractured relations between countries.
“Orchestral tours can be used for soft diplomacy reasons,” Mr Walker said. “The London Philharmonic was the first orchestra from the West to travel to the Soviet Union after Stalin’s death, in 1956.
“We were also the first orchestra from the West to go to China after the cultural revolution, in 1973.
“Both of those were quite strong statements of welcoming those two countries back into the international community.”
Mr McIlwham said the decision to combine Emirati and international players was an important one.
“Every successful orchestra I’ve worked with is multinational,” he said. “Music is a great thing for breaking down barriers and borders. It’s a universal language that has the power to heal all sorts of divides.”