What we do
The Power of Music and Art Education for Personal Development
It has been proven that music has a deep and lasting impact on children’s general educational development, as well as developing team-building and encouraging the achieving of excellence. Students engaged in music education projects are often more positive, more motivated, more disciplined and generally also more committed to improve their lives and those of their community.
And the South is rich in creativity and untapped talent - Music & Art also have a huge economic potential and our aim is to contribute towards this development.
Where we work
Pilot project in Maputo Mozambique
The opera project Terra Sonâmbula (www.TerraSonambula.com) is offering a unique chance for young talents in Mozambique to participate in first opera composition of the country, creating an inspiring artistic showcase. Therefore MeetingCultures priorities the launch of a choir, and to select a first group of young talents receiving professional voice and music education in the next three years.
How you can support this initiative
In order to secure the long-term funding of this initiative, we invite private, corporate and institutional partners to join this initiative!
Our online donation page is in preparation, meanwhile we kindly ask you to simply use a bank transfer (details see further down). And we are seeking ambassadorships of renowned artists and personalities who wish to build bridges of solidarity between musicians and artists in support of our social (media) fundraising campaigns.
We further ask educational institutions in the field of Music & Art, instrument makers, music editors, artist associations, record and entertainment companies to join our network as well as institutional donors in support of children, music or education in the South. And together with a selected group of corporate partners, we aim to further develop sustainable CSR projects!
28. September 2011
Introducing MeetingCultures - ART & MUSIC education for everyone!
Pires recorded for the last 20 years with Deutsche Grammophon. Her latest recording of Chopin's last works was released in May 2009.
Since 1970 Maria João Pires has dedicated herself to reflecting on the influence of art on life, community and education, and in trying to develop new ways of implementing pedagogic theories within society. In 1999 Maria João Pires created Belgais, a centre for the study of the arts. She is now taking the philosophy and teaching of Belgais to more countries around the globe.
More information about Maria João Pires:
http://www2.deutschegrammophon.com/artist/biography?ART_ID=PIRMA
Maria João Pires made her first public performance at the age of seven with Mozart’s Piano Concertos in Oporto, Portugal. At the age of nine she received Portugal’s highest award for young musicians just one year later.
Maria João Pires has appeared all over the globe with all the major orchestras. She is also a keen performer of chamber music. In recent years she has been heard at all the major international festivals.
BANK relation
SONÇA international - RAIFFEISEN Grauholz - CH-3322 Urtenen-Schönbühl
Swift: RAIFCH22, BC 80819 PC 30-15426-9
Account No. in EURO / EUR: 67867.78 - IBAN: CH68 8081 9000 0067 8677 8 / EUR
Account No. in SWISS FRANCS / CHF: 67867.57 - IBAN: CH53 8081 9000 0067 8675 7 / CH
in favour of MeetingCultures
A perfect showcase of social engineering
EL SISTEMA is a network of children’s and youth orchestras, music centres and workshops in Venezuela, in which more than 265,000 children and young people are currently learning to play an instrument.
It was set up over thirty years ago by José Antonio Abreu, who was driven by the utopian vision of a better future. In the dangerous and poverty-stricken shanty towns of Caracas, Abreu lifts children out of poverty through music, changing both people and structures. The story, which has all the makings of a fairytale, is the extraordinary account of a vision that has become reality.
To learn more about EL SISTEMA, we recommend the BBC documentary How Music Saved Venezuela's Children (10 minutes)
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THANK YOU for supporting MeetingCultures