HOI 2018
The second annual Haitian Orchestra Institute (HOI) is in the books and, wow, what an occasion it was! With our remarkable partners, the Musicians of the Utah Symphony; Thierry Fischer, the Music Director of the Utah Symphony; Paul Meecham, their CEO; Neeta Helms, the CEO of Classical Movements, Haitian conductor, Pierre Leroy and our host, the Cemuchca Institute of Music, we pulled off a stunning event.
Participants said over and over again how thrilled they were to have been able to share in this event. To have a stake in presenting a positive image of their country is cause for great pride. To understand that there are others who share their love of music and desire to improve is a source of great motivation. Participants bring the remarkable progress in their performance and of their pedagogical skills to their home institutions. Many are teachers, a number have even started their own music programs, and this week has become a crucial component of their development.
The reaction of the participants was uniformly positive. Clarinetist Castillo Saint Armand, Director of the Deschapelles Music Program, said that:
“For me, this project is very important. For a week I benefited from many things that otherwise would have taken me many years to learn. It motivated me to work more and to apply the techniques and lessons I learned. What I most liked was the patience and motivation the teachers had… The Institute gives young musicians from the entire country the possibility to meet in the same spirit. This experience can bring about a lot of change. The Institute gives us a lot of motivation and a lot of hope! I also like the fact that you are decentralizing in many cities of the country. Invite TV stations, radio stations – this way everyone on earth can know about this big event. Thank you!”
And Cérès Transil, bass and violin teacher at the Marmelade Music School said that:
“It made me feel like I was alive because my dream was to be part of a great orchestra like this. I hope that the National Orchestra becomes a reality throughout the country. With this, many young musicians will have happy hearts and it will help us prepare our future with joy. Because for me, art and music are life.”
Program founder and clarinetist Black Well Dumerzil said that:
“The Institute had a great deal of value for me in all ways. It taught me to see my potential, it taught me to live with others, to learn from other musicians. It taught me to believe in myself, that I can do more and it is also a huge opportunity for the country. To prove to Haitians and to the world that Haiti has musicians of quality who, if they have the right encouragement, can do a lot.”
For more media coverage about the HOI, here are some links you can follow:
Maestro Thierry Fischer’s article in USA Today
A segment from KSL TV with great shots of sectionals and rehearsals:
An article from the Desert News
