YES Academy Lebanon 2017: American NGO Hosts Young Talent from Across the Middle East in Performing Arts Academy and Performances in Lebanon on NDU Campus July 31 to August 12, 2017

YES Academy Lebanon 2017: American NGO Hosts Young Talent from Across the Middle East in Performing Arts Academy and Performances in Lebanon on NDU Campus July 31 to August 12, 2017

From July 31 to August 12, the award-winning U.S. arts organization American Voices will host over 150 of the Middle East’s most talented young musicians for thirteen days of collaborative trainings, rehearsals, and performances on the campus of Notre Dame University, Lebanon. With support from the U.S. Embassy, the Sinquefield Charitable Foundation, and private donors around the world, American Voices returns to Lebanon for the 9^th time with the YES Academy Lebanon program affording participants the opportunity to study piano, strings, orchestra, guitar, conducting, composition, voice, improvisation and chamber music with some of the United States’ finest artist teachers. Since 2009 the YES Academy has trained and inspired with over 1000 Lebanese, Syrian, Iraqi, Egyptian and Jordanian youth. This summer we will welcome over 150 aspiring young musicians from across the region. YES Lebanon will also conduct a series of community outreach concerts for children in Syrian refugee camps and centers and other at-risk youth in the Bekaa Valley, Tripoli and Beirut.

The faculty is represented by artist teachers such as Julliard School graduates cellist Avery Waite and violist Kim Mai Nguyen; conductor Mariano Vales of the D.C. Youth Orchestra Program and the Orchestras of the Americas for Social Inclusion; dancer/choreographer Rick Camargo aka Bboy Lil Ric of HaviKoro Crew; violinist Robert Diggins of the Portland Baroque Orchestra; Derek Beckvold of the Boston Philharmonic; guitarist Susan McDonald; Marc Thayer of Symphony New Hampshire; Baritone Ira Spaulding of City College of New York; composer Dr. Patrick Clark of University of Missouri; and YES Academy founder and director, pianist John Ferguson. New to this year’s program is the Cultural Entrepreneurship seminar led by motivational speaker Ravi designed to inspire youth to envision and create new career paths, opportunities and institutions. Special projects of YES Academy include the Festival Baroque Orchestra, a early music training program.

The YES Academy’s series of free public concerts will open with a performance on Friday, August 06, at 7pm at Assembly Hall, AUB by the Academy Baroque Orchestra featuring distinguished faculty soloists. The concerts will continue with gala performances on August 11 (Spotlight on Piano, Guitar, Chamber Music and Voice) and August 12 (Academy Festival Orchestra and Young Voices of Lebanon, Composers in Concert) at 7pm at the Issam Fares Hall on NDU campus.

American Voices provides cultural exchange through the performing arts and arts education in areas of the world that lack opportunities for cultural exchange and dialogue with the United States. The Youth Excellence on Stage (YES) Academy program serves as the organization’s flagship cultural engagement program.

YES Academy ASEAN Performance Schedule August 2017

Sunday, Aug 6:                       “Academy Baroque Orchestra”

                                                AUB Campus – 7pm, Free

Friday, Aug 11:                      “Spotlight on Piano, Guitar, Chamber Music and Voice”

                                                Issam Fares Hall – NDU Campus – 7pm, Free

Saturday, Aug 12:                  FINAL GALA PERFORMANCE “Festival Strings Orchestra and Young Voices of Lebanon, Composers in Concert”

                                                Issam Fares Hall – NDU Campus – 7pm, Free