THEME MUSIC - Adolphus Hailstork - Sonata da Chiesa

Jeff Spurgeon: From Carnegie Hall, we welcome you to the final concert of Carnegie's Phenomenal World Orchestra Week. A celebration and showcase of the youth orchestras from around the world. Mostly teenage musicians who have come to New York City in the past seven days from Venezuela, from China, from across Europe, and across Africa and across the United States to be part of this extraordinary music festival. Tonight, musicians from Afghanistan, by way of Portugal, the Afghan Youth Orchestra, performing alongside members of the European Union Youth Orchestra in the last concert of this festival. Backstage at Carnegie Hall, as these musicians go by us, headed for a backstage, rather back of the hall entrance onto the Carnegie Hall stage. I'm Jeff Spurgeon alongside John Schaefer.

John Schaefer: There is quite a story, as you might imagine, to the Afghan Youth Orchestra. It is the premier ensemble of the Afghanistan Institute of Music, founded in 2010 by Dr. Ahmad Naser Sarmast. It was the first and only school of music in the country. It was co-ed, a notable development in Afghanistan, and it was open to children of different ethnic and social backgrounds. There was an emphasis on the school from the beginning in giving special access to the most vulnerable members of Afghan society: orphans, children working in the street, women and girls. Another objective was to maintain Afghan music as a living art form. Dr. Sarmast told us about his initial goals of starting the school.

Dr. Ahmad Naser Sarmast: First, to return the musical rights of Afghan people and ensure these rights. The second objective was to revive Afghan musical traditions because, during the first Taliban time in Civil War, impact negatively the musical traditions of Afghanistan in dramatic way. Many musical forms and musical instruments become practically obsolete. That was important to bring those forms, those genres, and those musical form back into life.

John Schaefer: Dr. Sarmast, the founder of the Afghanistan National Institute of Music, from which the Afghan Youth Orchestra derives. He also told us that the school, which continues today in Portugal, aims to promote musical diversity. Not just keeping alive the traditions of Afghan music but also learning Western classical music as well.

Jeff Spurgeon: Now, in our society, we think of learning music as good or nice or broadening. Dr. Sarmast says that for the most vulnerable people in Afghan society, especially women and girls, the stakes of this project are much greater and the hopes are much higher.

Dr. Ahmad Naser Sarmast: To transform the life of disadvantaged children of Afghanistan, street-working children, kids who've been living in orphanages, and girls who've been always in a disadvantaged position in Afghan society, but when it comes to music, arts, and culture, they were in the lowest position in Afghan society. It was not the objective to transform the love but also to empower women and girls through music and education.

Jeff Spurgeon: Under Dr. Sarmast's leadership, the school flourished, and musicians from the Afghan Youth Orchestra toured the United States in 2013 concerts here at Carnegie Hall and at the Kennedy Center in Washington, but then things changed. The Taliban returned to power in 2021. Afghan girls could no longer receive secondary education. Boys and girls were no longer allowed to learn in the same classroom, and there were no performances of music. In fact, even listening to music became forbidden. This forced the students and the organization, the Institute of Music, to leave Afghanistan.

In five airlifts in October and November of the year 2021, they left Afghanistan, first going to Doha in Qatar, to escape the harsh Taliban rule. Then in December of 2021, the 273 students and faculty and immediate family members left Qatar and resettled in Portugal. There, they were granted asylum, and there the school has been restarted without fear of repercussion.

John Schaefer: It is an incredible story and a suitable finale for what has been an amazing week here at Carnegie Hall. World Orchestra Week, or WOW, has brought musicians from around the world to Carnegie Hall's stage. Tonight, for this grand finale in the series, we're able to share the music and the courage of these young Afghani musicians with you as they enter through the audience, coming down the same aisles that the audience members were a moment ago filling as they headed to their seats. The musicians coming down the aisle and making their way onto the main stage here at Carnegie Hall. Jeff, we should say, the orchestra is literally an exile in Portugal, but they are offered opportunities and options that are simply not available to them back home.

Jeff Spurgeon: As we've said, it's an incredible story and one that is, in some ways, difficult to believe. You cannot perform music, you cannot even listen to music in that society. What is happening for these young people is an amazing continuation of a tradition that's been shut down in their home country. Before the performances begin, we're going to hear from a couple of the students. As a few of the musicians are now arriving on stage and beginning to settle themselves, we can see a couple of sitars on stage, and then here come the students who speak to the audience before the performance begins.

Alam: Hello. Good evening, ladies and gentlemen.

Farida John: [foreign language]

Alam: My name is Alam.

Farida John: Welcome to Carnegie Hall.

[applause]

Farida John: Welcome to Afghan Youth Orchestra concert.

[applause]

Farida John: Today, we will take you through the rich musical heritage of our beloved Afghanistan. Therefore, this concert is structured in two parts. The first part is dedicated to Afghanistan traditional and Sufi music. The second part is dedicated to orchestral music of Afghanistan.

Alam: Exactly, Farida John. First, let me tell our story. Dr. Ahmad Sarmast founded our school, the Afghanistan National Institute of Music, in 2010. For 11 years, ANIM was the happiest place in our country. We are boys and girls, studied together. At ANIM, children from every ethnic group and background, we are friends in harmony. It was a pure joy to leave our homes in the morning and spend the day learning and dreaming about our bright futures. ANIM was Afghanistan beacon of hope.

Farida John: We still miss our country. We miss our school. We miss our families, whom we have not--

Alam: In August of 2021, when Taliban returned, everything changed. Afghanistan is not singing anymore. It is a silent nation. We have to leave our beloved country to continue our dream of becoming musicians. We are now in Portugal, who gave us a group asylum and an opportunity to dream and hope.

[applause]

Farida John: We still miss our country. We miss our school. We miss our families, whom we have not seen for three years. We are lucky to be able to study, play music, and have fun. While our friends and family members cannot go to school and are denied their music and education rights, I am confident sooner or later these dark days will be over, and we will return and bring music and joy to our people.

[applause]

Farida John: You'll see tonight that no one can silence us. Afghanistan will sing again. Tashakkor.

Alam: Thank you.

[applause]

Alam: Enjoy the concert.

Farida John: Enjoy the concert.

John Schaefer: Two of the members of the Afghan Youth Orchestra, and now a performance of Rag Pilu, a traditional light classical piece on two sitars and tabla, to begin this concert from the Afghan Youth Orchestra. Most of the orchestra will be heard in the second half of the program, but this first half bringing us the sounds of some traditional Afghan music. If you are a fan of Indian classical music or have some passing familiarity with it, instruments like the sitar, the long-necked loot, and the tabla, the tuned pair of hand drums will be somewhat familiar. Here's a performance of Rag Pilu by three of the members of the Afghan Youth Orchestra on stage at Carnegie Hall.

[MUSIC - Afghan Youth Orchestra: Trad Rag Pilu]

[applause]

Jeff Spurgeon: That was Rag Pilu, the first work on this program by the Afghan Youth Orchestra. Coming to you from Carnegie Hall, the final broadcast of Carnegie's World Orchestra Week, three members of the Afghan Youth Orchestra. Two young women who played the sitar, Shabana Gulestani and Gulalai Nooristani, and playing the tabla, Ahmad Emad Karimi. Small ensemble of the Afghan Youth Orchestra. As the program begins, some changes in the musicians now before we get ready for the next work on this program.

John Schaefer: As we mentioned earlier, the members of this orchestra are currently refugees in Portugal. When the full orchestra takes the stage in a little while, you'll meet their music director, Tiago Moreira da Silva, who is from Portugal, but right now an ensemble of rebab players from the orchestra have taken center stage. The rebab is a central Asian lute with lots of sympathetic strings and a very distinctive hourglass shape and very unusual sound.

Here is a performance of another Rag. This is Rag Bihag, which is pretty close to the Western C major scale. It is typically a light classical form of Ragga that you hear throughout South Asia, and obviously, in Central Asia, in Afghanistan as well. It's associated with late evening, but we'll hear an early evening performance by some of the members of the Afghan Youth Orchestra in this performance from the World Orchestra Week from Carnegie Hall.

[MUSIC - Afghan Youth Orchestra: Trad Rag Bihag]

[applause]

John Schaefer: Live on stage at Carnegie Hall that is a performance of Rag Bihag, members of the Afghan Youth Orchestra performing as part of World Orchestra Week. The roots of Rag Bihag are in India, but just look at Afghanistan on a map, and you'll see that the sounds of Iran, Pakistan, and India find a natural meeting place in a country like Afghanistan, situated in the middle of Central Asia. That performance, Jeff, will probably have some of our listeners wondering if this Afghan Youth Orchestra has any orchestral instruments. It does, but it is an Afghani kind of flagship program to promote Afghanistani culture, and so--

Jeff Spurgeon: Well, they're preserving a tradition which has been lost under a couple of administrations in Afghanistan. Preserving and reviving the traditional forms is absolutely part of the mission of this organization. I have to note too, John, that it doesn't seem to matter the culture; the drum solo gets applause, no matter where you are. That just seems to be how it works. There are some stage changes happening now, and we're getting ready for another work on this program and another group of musicians and another kind of music. We're going to hear some vocalizing, some singing in the Qawwali style.

John Schaefer: Right. Now, Qawwali Music in the 1990s and early 2000s kind of swept through the rock world. The major rock stars like Pete Townshend into the Who, Peter Gabriel, Eddie Vedder of Pearl Jam, the late Jeff Buckley all became huge fans of Qawwali music. It is a Sufi devotional style but it's often very upbeat. It sounds like party music, even though it is, in fact, prayer. It's an extraordinary form of music that is usually associated with neighboring Pakistan. Again, not surprising to find it in Afghanistan as well.

The piece that we're going to hear is by the 20th-century Afghan composer Ustad Mohammad Sarahang, who was himself a singer and an author and a musician. This style of music is often performed by a large ensemble of singers. It's extremely ecstatic singing and often accompanied by harmonium and drums, and the essential handclaps as well.

Jeff Spurgeon: We'll have all of that in this ensemble, about 10 singers on stage and a number of instruments. The sitars will reappear. We will have the harmonium and some other instruments as well. The stage door is opened and the musicians, as soon as the stage hands step off, then the musicians will go. There they are. The composer of this work, Sarahang, studied the Patiala style of singing under another renowned musician, Ashiq Ali Khan, an Indian musician also of the 20th century who published a couple of books about music. The title that goes with his name, Sarahang, is a bestowment of honor from the Afghan government in recognition of his talent.

This piece is called Tark-e Arezo Kardam and it is indeed, as you said John, a work of religious devotion and reflection. We're going to hear from members of the Afghan Youth Orchestra performing some of their traditional music in this concert from World Orchestra Week coming to you live from Carnegie Hall.

[pause 00:42:03]

Well, we await the start of proceeding. Still, some stage work is to be done here at Carnegie Hall. Now it looks like we might be ready. Tark-e Arezo Kardam is the name of the song from the composer Sarahang, Qawwali music from Afghanistan from Carnegie Hall.

[MUSIC - Afghan Youth Orchestra: SARAHANG Tark-e Arezo Kardam] [applause]

John Schaefer: That is a piece called Tark-e Arezo Kardam, an example of Qawwali music, Sufi devotional music from Afghanistan from the composer who was often referred to as the crown of Afghani music, Ustad Mohammad Hussain Sarahang.

Jeff Spurgeon: After a little retuning, we'll hear another example of traditional Sufi song to close out the first half of this concert by members of the Afghan Youth Orchestra. This lyric will be based on poetry of the great Persian poet of the 13th century known as Rumi.

[MUSIC - Rumi: Pir-e-man] [applause]

Jeff Spurgeon: Members of the Afghan Youth Orchestra in Carnegie Hall performing a traditional song in Pir-e-mano based on the work of the most famous of Persian poets, Sufi poets, the 13th-century mystic and scholar and poet known as Rumi. An ensemble of 14 members of the Afghan Youth Orchestra on stage. Eight of them singing, and we heard the rebab and the sitar and a plain old guitar, a harmonium you heard droning along there, and a couple of drummers, the tabla and the double-sided drum known as the dough in that performance.

That concludes the first half of this concert by the Afghan Youth Orchestra, the last of seven concerts in seven days in Carnegie Hall's WOW Festival. The World Orchestra Week Festival of youth orchestras from five continents. Unusual sounds to hear and yet the spirit of youth and hope is so evident in this concert, John Schaefer, as it has been in the previous 6 that we brought you in the last week on WQXR.

John Schaefer: Jeff Spurgeon, I have to say that, I am really looking forward to hearing these musicians picking up their other instruments in the second half of the program because many of our singers will be within the body of the ensemble when we get to some of the music of composers like Brahms and Kodály and Nainawaz, who will all be appearing in the second half when the Afghan Youth Orchestra takes the stage in its fullness with its strings and its guitars, its bass guitar and its saxophones and its traditional Afghani instruments as well.

Jeff Spurgeon: Some members of the European Union Youth Orchestra who performed here last night and will be joining members of the Afghan Youth Orchestra in the second half of this concert. That is coming to you tonight from Carnegie Hall. This is classical New York, WQXR 105.9 FM at HD Newark, 90.3 FM, WQXW Ossining, and WNYC FM HD 2 New York. Backstage at Carnegie Hall, I'm Jeff Spurgeon alongside John Schaeffer, and we are now joined by one of the musicians in the Afghan Youth Orchestra and the man behind this entire enterprise tonight, the founder and director of the Afghanistan National Institute of Music, Dr. Ahmad Sarmast, accompanied by a violinist in the Afghan Youth Orchestra, Ali Sina Hotak.

Dr. Sarmast, you must feel very proud tonight at what is happening here at Carnegie Hall.

Dr. Ahmad Sarmast: I'm extremely proud. I'm very proud that after 11 years, we are once again at Carnegie Hall, and we once again, we have been able to bring the beauty of Afghan music and to share it with the audiences here. I'm also very proud to be in Carnegie Hall in a time that music is banned in Afghanistan to let the people know that no one can silence. There's no forces in the world today deny the Afghan people of their rights to make music. It's a temporary action that the Taliban imposed a total draconian ban on music but I'm very hopeful that very soon this ban will be removed, or the Taliban will be removed but this young musician will be bringing music and joy back to Afghanistan.

Jeff Spurgeon: A draconian measure for sure but the element of hope as I was saying to John a moment ago, is evident so much in these performances as it's been in all of these concerts. Ali Sina Hotak, when did you begin to learn to play the violin?

Ali Sina Hotak: Maybe seven years ago. I think I start playing violin in 2017 and it was amazing that I'm here in Carnegie Hall playing the violin.

John Schaefer: Did you begin thinking that you would play Western classical music?

Ali Sina Hotak: Yes. Actually, my real profession is being a classical violinist. I like Western music and also, I love Afghan music and our traditional music.

John Schaefer: Do you get to play both in the school?

Ali Sina Hotak: Yes, we are going to play both in Carnegie Hall.

John Schaefer: Right. Dr. Sarmast, this has been at times a difficult enterprise both in terms of moving people in and out of the country according to what's happening in Afghanistan but also for you personally. You've been the target of several assassination attempts, wounded in one of them 10 years ago, how are you feeling personally now?

Dr. Ahmad Sarmast: I feel very, very proud. I'm very proud that in spite of all the challenges that exist against us and all the threat that exist, not against me personally but against every member of the Afghanistan National Institute of Music, these young musicians were appearing today at the Carnegie Hall. They've been risking their life every day to play music, music which is for granted outside Afghanistan but in in Afghanistan people have been risking their life to play music, to make music, and to listen to music.

John Schaefer: Well, I want to ask you both about something that happened here last night. When the European Union Youth Orchestra announced that some of you in the Afghan Youth Orchestra were in the audience and asked you to stand up, there was a roar from the crowd here at Carnegie Hall. Ali, how did that make you feel?

Ali Sina Hotak: Well, that was amazing. That was amazing. We all, how you say it? Goosebumps.

John Schaefer: Goosebumps.

Ali Sina Hotak: When I stand up, I'm always I have goosebumps, and it was amazing experience for all of us. I'm really happy to be part of this World Orchestra Week and it's an amazing opportunity for every violinist to do a great concert in Carnegie Hall.

John Schaefer: Dr. Sarmast it seems like although there are 700 wonderful young musicians from 7 wonderful young orchestras, there's something special about the orchestra. The other orchestras, the audiences here, they seem to have a kind of a special place in their heart for this ensemble.

Dr. Ahmad Sarmast: I strongly believe the support that we are receiving today here in Carnegie Hall, and we've been receiving that support and applause during each concert every day during this beautiful week it clearly indicated the support of the people to the Afghan musician. The compassion of the audiences for Afghan people who are denied this beauty. Can you imagine another country, another place in the world that music will get taken away of their life only for one day? Now it's almost three years.

We are today almost on the third anniversary of the return of the Taliban which means we are on the third anniversary when the people of Afghanistan have been forced into silence. Today, here in Carnegie Hall and all this week we've been breaking that silence. We've been breaking the silence, we continue to break the silence, and we continue every action to be taken in order to make sure that we preserve our music, we raise our voices, and we raise the voice of millions of Afghans who are forced into silence.

Every melody, every note, every piece that we are playing today here, it is pieces and music of resilience, music of hope, music of inspiration. We're trying our best not only to share the beauty of music with the audiences here but also to raise awareness and also to do advocacy for the Afghan people, to do advocacy for Afghan women. Afghanistan is today the only country where a systematic gender apartheid is taking place, or it's in place against the half of the population.

Today, Afghanistan is the only country where its women and girls are not allowed to go to school. They denied their rights, the very basic rights to education, rights to employment, and simulation of the cultural rights of the Afghan people. Today, Afghanistan is a silent nation, and Afghans are denied all their five music rights identified by the International Music Council. Rights to have access to musical languages, learn musical languages, rights to listen to music, rights to make music, rights to make a living through music and rights to have in your disposal as a musician all platform to share your arts with the rest of the community.

John Schaefer: In the event that there's some regime change in Afghanistan, the plan is you all go back there and start again or build on what you have?

Dr. Ahmad Sarmast: I strongly believe that the Taliban are digging their grave themselves, and very soon, hopefully, they will be removed. That's one of my dream, to return back to Afghanistan with an army of professional musicians trained with commitment, commitment to their nation, commitment to music, commitment to understanding through music, making friendship through music, and building bridges between civilizations, cultures, and people.

John Schaefer: A final question to you, Ali. How are you enjoying Portugal? Would you go back to Afghanistan? How long has it been since you've been home?

Ali Sina Hotak: Yes, of course. It's one of my biggest goals that one day I return to Afghanistan as a violinist, as a professional violinist, and to just go to my country and be there and build a music school, build the things that I want to do in my future. Of course, build a music school like we had in Afghanistan, and to give the opportunity to the people to play music and to raise their voice everywhere.

John Schaefer: You'd like to follow in Dr. Sarmast's footsteps and start a school yourself?

Ali Sina Hotak: Of course. I was there for a few years. I was there in Afghanistan learning music, and it will be a pleasure to just step in his step.

John Schaefer: Yes. All right. Well, thank you both, Dr. Ahmad Sarmast, who founded the Afghanistan National Institute of Music, from which The Afghan Youth Orchestra has come, and one of the violinists in the orchestra, Ali Sina Hotak. Thank you both for stopping by during intermission here at Carnegie Hall.

Dr. Ahmad Sarmast: Thank you very much for amplifying our voices.

Ali Sina Hotak: Thank you.

Jeff Spurgeon: We are happy to do so on this concert broadcast from Carnegie Hall, the Afghan Youth Orchestra tonight, the last of seven youth orchestras from five continents in this World Orchestra Week at Carnegie Hall. We look forward to more Afghan music in the second half of this program, but also some works by composers perhaps more familiar to our typical audience, music of Brahms and Zoltán Kodály, in arrangements by the Portuguese conductor of this Afghan Youth Orchestra, and we'll hear from him as well.

In the meantime, let's turn back to one of the previous concerts in this amazing Festival of Youth Orchestras. We heard quite a performance the other night from the National Youth Orchestra of the United States of America under the direction, this year, of Marin Alsop, who gave a performance of Rimsky-Korsakov's Scheherazade. In this intermission of the concert with the Afghan Youth Orchestra, we'd like you to hear some of that NYO-USA Scheherazade right now.

[MUSIC - Rimsky-Korsakov: Scheherazade]

Jeff Spurgeon: Music from a performance of Rimsky-Korsakov's Scheherazade by the NYO-USA, the National Youth Orchestra, put together by Carnegie Hall 11 years ago in this 11th-year edition. The Orchestra conducted by Marin Alsop. That orchestra played in Carnegie Hall just the other night. They're already on tour in South America. Right now, we are coming to you from Carnegie Hall in a concert, the final concert of Carnegie's World Orchestra Week by the Afghan Youth Orchestra.

This half will feature larger orchestral ensembles, starting with the all-female Zohra Orchestra. This ensemble was formed in 2015 in Kabul by Dr. Sarmast, whom you heard speaking just a moment ago, the founder of the Afghanistan National Institute of Music. The Zohra, all-women orchestra, made several high-profile tours, including a performance of the World Economic Forum, with the goal of sharing their music and traditions. Since the orchestra has moved to Portugal after the Taliban has reestablished control in Afghanistan, the musicians are yet able to share their music with the world.

John Schaefer: As Dr. Sarmast was telling us just a couple of minutes ago, the role of the institute and the orchestra in creating a space for women to listen to music, to make music, to maybe even write music, things that would be absolutely impossible in Afghanistan. Now, that is one of the main tasks that he has set for this ensemble. Zohra, the name of the Persian goddess for music, is the name of this all-female subsection of the school and the orchestra. We should say that the second half of the concert will give us some familiar music as well as some genuinely orchestral music from Afghanistan.

Jeff Spurgeon: Yes. In this half of the concert, it will be led by the conductor of the Afghan Youth Orchestra. He is a Portuguese musician named Tiago Moreira da Silva. He teaches at the school now in Portugal, and he told us that combining the traditions of Eastern and Western music has had a few challenges.

Tiago Moreira da Silva: The way they're playing, the tradition they have, they don't follow a score normally. What they learn is like oral tradition. The teachers show them how to do it, and then they practice like this. They have no books, they have nothing to really improve, just the teacher. Combining this way of approaching music together with the Western way is quite difficult.

They know how to read music. They are not very good in reading music. The way they produce the sound, the way they phrase, the way they follow the rules of music, like rhythm, sometimes they play it not exactly what is written in the score, like in between with small ornaments, and we are not used to it. It's always trying to balance between both sides, the Western and this traditional South Asian way of playing music.

John Schaefer: That is the conductor of the Afghan Youth Orchestra, Portugal's Tiago Moreira da Silva. We should mention that he has arranged much of the music for tonight's second half, and that posed its own set of challenges.

Tiago Moreira da Silva: In the beginning, I was talking with the musicians, we were sharing information, how to play the instruments, how is the range, what can they play or not? How is that possible? It was a teamwork building the arrangements. I was doing it at home, the arrangements of the new songs. Then I was sending to them, "Guys, is this possible to play or not?" Then I would rearrange it. Now I know quite well the instruments. I don't know how to play, but I know what they can play. It's easier now.

About the Afghan music, I didn't know anything about Afghan music. Now I'm missing a lot, as you can imagine. [chuckles]

John Schaefer: That is conductor Tiago Moreira da Silva getting a crash course in Afghani instruments and music. working with the Afghan Youth Orchestra. He actually told us that the instrument that is his favorite is the Central Asian lute known as the Rubab.

Tiago Moreira da Silva: The Rubab is amazing. It's like a guitar, but with only three strings and with sympathetic strings as well. They play three strings, but then the other ones that they ring by itself. It's a very unique instrument. The sound is very unique. The way of playing is very unique. The range is not big but the color of the sound is very interesting. I think everyone will be very curious and will love it.

Jeff Spurgeon: We got to hear it in the first half of the program. That was the conductor Tiago Moreira da Silva, who is backstage along with the members of the Afghan Youth Orchestra. As we are getting set up on stage for a more typical-looking orchestra than what we saw in the first half of this program.

John Schaefer: Typical being a relative word here because we will still have sitars and Rubabs and saxophones and guitars.

Jeff Spurgeon: Also on stage is a string ensemble. Violins and cellos in the usual configuration. A small group of what is going to be about 45 members of the Afghan Youth Orchestra and about a dozen members of the European Union Youth Orchestra who are joining the ensemble for this performance as we get ready for the second half of this concert by the Afghan Youth Orchestra.

John Schaefer: Interesting, you mentioned the European Union Youth members who are sitting in. Actually, at least one of those European Union Orchestra members is herself a guest from the Ukrainian Youth Orchestra.

Jeff Spurgeon: Yes, that's right.

John Schaefer: We have orchestras within orchestras during this WOW, this World Orchestra Week Festival.

Jeff Spurgeon: It was part of the idea to bring musicians from some particularly troubled areas of the world to join the larger effort here. As you say, John, yes, musicians from Ukraine, three or four players from that nation. There were also eight players of the Polyphony Ensemble. A group of Jewish and Arab Israeli musicians who came and participated in some of the concerts. As a couple of people have mentioned, we've had a little United Nations subset here on 57th Street in New York City during this World Orchestra Week Festival.

Now the stage door is closed, and looks like the house lights are coming down in Carnegie Hall, and we are getting ready to hear a performance by the Zohra Orchestra, the all women subset of the Afghan Youth Orchestra. They are going to perform a work called Zindagi, by composer Ahmad Zahir. This work is a song of freedom, quite poignant as you heard tell in the intermission of the restrictions on women in Afghanistan.

Now coming out on stage, a couple of members of the orchestra to address the audience as the second half begins.

Amanullah Noori: Hello and good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen. This is Amanullahh Noori. I'm a violinist and concertmaster of Afghan Youth Orchestra.

[applause]

Zohra Ahmadi: [Dari language]

Amanullah Noori: I hope you enjoyed the first part of our concert, but it's now time for our orchestras. Yes, you heard it right, orchestras.

[applause]

Zohra Ahmadi: Zohra Orchestra, the first and the only all-woman orchestra of Afghanistan.

[applause]

Zohra Ahmadi: It has the same name like me, Zohra but, it was not named after me. What a pity. We are both named after the goddess of music in old Persian literature. Zohra Orchestra is a symbol of freedom and hope for all the women in Afghanistan.

[applause]

Amanullah Noori: The Afghan Youth Orchestra is a symbol of equality, unity, and celebration of diversity for future of Afghanistan.

[applause]

Zohra Ahmadi: We are very grateful to be performing at Carnegie Hall tonight.

[applause]

Zohra Ahmadi: [foreign language] Carnegie Hall for inviting us for this beautiful opportunity and having us for this beautiful performance.

[applause]

Amanullah Noori: In the last few days, we have had an opportunity to meet and listen to the wonderful and excellent young musicians from our wonderful orchestras representing the world. I would like to acknowledge all of them though I know that some already left New York. Afghan United Youth Orchestra, please give them a hand.

[applause]

Amanullah Noori: Beijing Youth Orchestra.

[applause]

Amanullah Noori: National Children's Symphony of Venezuela.

[applause]

Amanullah Noori: National Youth Orchestra of United States.

[applause]

Amanullah Noori: NYO2

[applause]

Amanullah Noori: The last but not least, the European Youth Orchestra, please stand up.

[applause]

Amanullah Noori: We are very grateful to have some members of this excellent orchestra, to Zohra Orchestra and our Afghan Youth Orchestra. Please give them a hand.

[applause]

Amanullah Noori: Thank you so much. Hope you enjoy the concert. Obrigado.

[applause]

Amanullah Noori: Enjoy.

Zohra Ahmadi: Enjoy the concert.

John Schaefer: A little Portuguese there from Amanullah Noori, the concertmaster of the Afghan Youth Orchestra, along with trumpeter Zohra Ahmadi. A greeting in Dari, most of it in English, a little Portuguese, obrigado there. Very nicely done. You were talking before, Jeff, about a little United Nations here on West 57th Street. We had just a hint of it there.

The members of the Zohra Orchestra, this is the all-women subset of the Afghan Youth Orchestra, including a couple of members of the European Union Youth Orchestra, who made Such a wonderful impression on this stage here last night.

Joining the members of this ensemble tonight, and awaiting now the arrival on stage of the group's Portuguese conductor, Tiago Moreira da Silva. We will hear a performance of a work by Ahmad Zahir, called Zindagi. It is a song that talks about Afghani women and the hope that they may one day live freely. Be able to do such simple things as sing and go to school. The sorts of things that are currently not allowed were they at home in Afghanistan.

Jeff Spurgeon: This concert tonight has the flavors of ancient Persian literature and a song based on poetry of Rumi, traditional Afghan instruments, Western classical music and instruments, and music and expressions of the very moment, the very moment of this culture in Afghanistan, particularly in this work that we are about to hear from the Zohra Orchestra named as you heard, not only for the concert for the trumpet player in this ensemble, but for the Persian goddess of music.

Now the stage door opens and out goes our conductor, Tiago Moreira da Silva, a remarkable young man who just a year ago found himself in charge of teaching music to this group of Afghan refugees in Portugal. Now they bring you the performance of the ensemble Zohra from the Afghan Youth Orchestra, part of World Orchestra Week at Carnegie Hall.

[MUSIC - Ahmad Zahir: Zendagi]

[applause]

Jeff Spurgeon: The all-woman Zohra Orchestra performing a work called Zendagi, adapted from a work by the Afghan musician Ahmad Zahir from an Indian song inspired by some revolutionary poetry. A song of defiance and hope for women from this all women ensemble, part of the Afghan Youth Orchestra performing tonight in the last concert of Carnegie Hall's World Orchestra Week. We have another work for them now.

[MUSIC - Nainawaz: An Selsela Mo]

[applause]

John Schaefer: That is an orchestral arrangement of a song called An Selsela Mo by the Afghan composer known as Nainawaz. Sometimes you'll see his name listed as Ustad or Master Nainawaz. He wrote that somewhat jaunty song about the lifting of hijab restrictions on women in Afghanistan back in the 1950s and you could perhaps hear echoes of the sounds of the film music of nearby India in some of his music. That performance was by the Zohra Orchestra.

That's the all-female subsection of the Afghan Youth Orchestra, the full orchestra now finally making its way out on stage here at Carnegie Hall, [applause] with some members of the European Union Youth Orchestra joining them as we head on through the second half of this concert, the final concert in the WOW Festival, World Orchestra Week here at Carnegie Hall.

Jeff Spurgeon: The next piece on the program is called Sarzamin E Man by Amir Jan Sabori, and arranged as the previous work was by the conductor, the Portuguese conductor, Tiago Moreira da Silva. Sabori is a singer and a musician, poet, composer from Afghanistan. He is of our own time. There's a documentary film about him called Golden Dream. As the notes in the Carnegie Hall program note, this is an arrangement that begins with an ode to the grandeur of Afghanistan, capturing the majesty of the country's landscapes.

You'll hear again a solo sitar and the rubab with a lament for an Afghanistan of old. Then things will turn a little bit darker in the work, a vision of a land ravaged, as the program notes say, by a civil war, looted by warlords, and betrayed by corrupt politicians. As the previous work was, this really fascinating combination of Western and traditional Afghan sounds and instruments that is a product-- in a way the purpose of the Afghan Youth Orchestra and the organization behind it to revive and sustain the tradition of Afghanistan music, but also to bring into it, enrich it with the techniques and the instruments and the sounds of Western classical music.

John Schaefer: The Afghanistan National Institute of Music gives its students training in both classical traditions, the South and Central Asian on the one hand, and the Western classical tradition on the other. When we were hearing some of the Qawwali music, that Sufi devotional music earlier in the first half of the program, those same musicians who were singing and hand clapping in that music are now out there with violins and cellos and flutes and oboes.

We are awaiting now the arrival back out on stage of our conductor, Tiago Moreira da Silva, and we'll hear now the full Afghan Youth Orchestra performing this contemporary work called Sarzamin E Man by Amir Jan Sabori from World Orchestra Week at Carnegie Hall. Looks like we're almost ready. A little bit of last-minute adjustments being made on stage.

Jeff Spurgeon: [crosstalk] adjusting a microphone over by where the bass is, but as soon as they've gotten that little piece of technical business, they want to get the performance right, and we want to make it possible for you to hear it very well in this broadcast, so we appreciate their work.

I have to say that one of the things that we're also looking forward to is a conversation with our conductor. His adventure has been an enormous one and a great one too with these musicians. We've heard a couple of orchestras in this festival that were created for the very purpose of appearing this week at the World Orchestra Week Carnegie Hall series. This is the orchestra-- [applause] [laughs] I believe that applause is for the staging, but this orchestra--

John Schaefer: Was that ironic applause? I think they genuinely appreciate what his work is.

Jeff Spurgeon: [laughs] This orchestra is the only one that exists in exile, founded in Afghanistan, but moved a few years ago to Portugal. [applause] Now, the Afghan Youth Orchestra rises on its feet to greet its conductor, Tiago Moreira da Silva, who turns to the audience here at Carnegie Hall. For our next work, here we go with Sarzamin E Man.

[MUSIC - Amir Jan Sabori: Sarzamin E Man]

[applause]

John Schaefer: The Afghan Youth Orchestra live on stage at Carnegie Hall, conducted by Tiago Moreira da Silva, who arranged that song, Sarzamin E Man, written by Amir Jan Sabori, Afghan composer, arranged by the conductor for this ensemble, and this occasion, the final night of World Orchestra Week. Moreira da Silva has also arranged the next piece, it's called Pa Bismillah, and it's by Sediq Shubab. The title translates, "In the name of God." It's originally a Pashto wedding song, but here it is played on stage at Carnegie Hall by the Afghan Youth Orchestra, conducted by Tiago Moreira da Silva.

[MUSIC - Sediq Shubab: Pa Bismillah]

[applause]

Jeff Spurgeon: That was Pa Bismillah, a wedding song, an Afghan wedding song, about the bittersweet feelings of a bride leaving her family to start a new home, a work composed by Sediq Shubab, played in an arrangement by the conductor, Tiago Moreira da Silva. Next, a famous song from a Bollywood film of 1955, about pride in being an Indian person in spite of the fact that my shoes are Japanese.

[MUSIC - Jaikishan Dayabhai Panchal/Shankarsingh Raghuwanshi: Mera Joota Hai Japani]

[applause]

John Schaefer: A bit of Hindi film music from the Afghan Youth Orchestra and their Portuguese conductor, Tiago Moreira da Silva, who arranged many of the works, that one included. You just heard Mera Joota Hai Japani, My Shoes Are Japanese, by the songwriting team of Shankar and Jaikishan. Now, Jeff, something a little more familiar.

Jeff Spurgeon: Yes, a Hungarian Dance by Brahms, but with the flavor of the traditional Afghan instruments in this concert by the Afghan Youth Orchestra, coming to you live from Carnegie Hall during this World Orchestra Week, another arrangement by the conductor, Tiago Moreira da Silva.

[MUSIC - Brahms: Hungarian Dance No. 5]

[applause]

Jeff Spurgeon: Brahms's Hungarian Dance No. 5, in an arrangement with Afghan traditional instruments, by Tiago Moreira da Silva, who conducted that performance. Now a work by the founder of the Afghan Youth Orchestra, William Harvey, who was, for four years, the violin and viola teacher of the orchestra. This is a work about the orchestra's escape from Afghanistan, when the Taliban returned, and its flight, and finding a new home in Portugal. A work by William Harvey, from the Afghan Youth Orchestra, in this concert from Carnegie Hall.

[MUSIC - William Harvey: Saudade do Afeganistão]

[applause]

John Schaefer: That piece is called Saudade do Afeganistão, Longing for Afghanistan, written by the American composer William Harvey, who used to teach at the Afghan National Institute of Music about this orchestra, the Afghan Youth Orchestra, and their flight to Portugal, and their existence as a kind of exiled cultural ambassador for Afghanistan in Portugal. The piece incorporates elements of both Afghani and Portuguese culture, and the composer, William Harvey, taking a bow here in the audience at Carnegie Hall tonight.

Jeff Spurgeon: Next we hear music of Zoltán Kodály. This is a special arrangement of the Intermezzo – from the Opera Háry János. Instead of the cimbalom, we'll hear the rubab, the Afghan instrument, the three-stringed lute that's been part of this program tonight, in this special arrangement of Kodály's music performed here by the Afghan Youth Orchestra.

[MUSIC - Zoltán Kodály: Intermezzo – from the Opera Háry János]

[applause]

Jeff Spurgeon: The Intermezzo from Zoltán Kodály's Opera Háry János in a special orchestration for the Afghan Youth Orchestra by the conductor of the performance, Tiago Moreira da Silva, with members of the European Union Youth Orchestra as well. About 60 musicians on stage in this final concert of Carnegie Hall's World Orchestra Week.

John Schaefer: Now a return to Afghani music with the composer Nainawaz and a song called Ay Nay Naway Jawedan, originally a setting of More, poetry of Rumi, but arranged here for rubab, violin, and orchestra.

[MUSIC - Nainawaz: Ay Nay Naway Jawedan] [applause]

John Schaefer: The Afghan Youth Orchestra at Carnegie Hall with a performance of the song AY Nay Naway Jawedan. Text by Rumi, briefly sung by the members of the Afghan Youth Orchestra and their Portuguese conductor, Tiago Moreira da Silva. The composer Nainawaz, the arrangement by Moreira da Silva himself.

Jeff Spurgeon: This final concert in Carnegie Hall's World Orchestra Week continues now with an original by our conductor, An Afghan in New York, composed by Tiago Moreira da Silva. A story about an orchestra that would like to go home but has to find a new life, as this orchestra has done living in exile in Portugal.

[MUSIC - Tiago Moreira da Silva: An Afghan in New York]

[applause]

Jeff Spurgeon: An Afghan in New York, the title of that work played by about 45 Afghans in New York on the stage of Carnegie Hall, the Afghan Youth Orchestra, with an original by the conductor of the performance, Tiago Moreira da Silva, conducted the Afghan Youth Orchestra. He based that work on a Pashto song called Pa Loyo Ghro in this concert by the Afghan Youth Orchestra, which continues now.

[MUSIC - Ustad Awalmir: Maste Mange Bar by Afghan Youth Orchestra]

[applause]

John Schaefer: That is a popular Pashto song from Afghanistan, written by Ustad Awalmir. Pashto and Dari, the two most popular languages in Afghanistan. We heard Tiago Moreira da Silva conducting not just the Afghan Youth Orchestra at Carnegie Hall but the audience as well, who seemed to lock into that five-beat groove pretty readily. Well, one more scheduled piece on the program from Abdul Wahab Madadi, and it is originally based on a Greek song by Theodorakis.

[MUSIC - Abdul Wahab Madadi: Watan Ishq-e-tu by Afghan Youth Orchestra]

[applause]

Jeff Spurgeon: The song Watan Ishq-e-tu Iftekharam, a song of deep patriotic resonance for the Afghan people. Originally written, as John said, by Mikis Theodorakis, adapted in the 1970s by Abdul Wahab Madadi, and it was even considered to be possibly the Afghanistan national anthem after the Taliban went away in 2001. A powerful part of this performance tonight is by the Afghan Youth Orchestra in this final concert of World Orchestra Week at Carnegie Hall. Backstage, I'm Jeff Spurgeon, alongside John Schaefer. That's the end of the scheduled program.

John Schaefer: The scheduled program. We expect that this orchestra won't be in any hurry to vacate the famed stage at Carnegie Hall. Right now, the conductor is pointing out the various parts of the ensemble. We should mention that he's been a busy fellow, our friend Tiago Moreira da Silva, who has been conducting and arranging and composing a lot of different hats on his head in the second half of this concert. That last song by Madadi sung in Persian, another language that you will hear commonly in Afghani music.

The country has been at the crossroads of the Silk Road, of the passage of people and culture, and goods through the centuries. It is a country with a very rich tradition of taking from the various other countries and cultures around it. We have heard in the past couple of hours how the sounds of India and Persia and the other stands in Central Asia have all been impactful on the music of Afghanistan. Now, back at center stage, Dr. Ahmad Sarmast, the founder of the Afghan National Institute of Music, of which the Afghan Youth Orchestra is the flagship ensemble, it looks like he's going to say a few words.

Dr. Ahmad Sarmast: Good evening. Hi. I hope you enjoyed the music.

[applause]

Dr. Ahmad Sarmast: I've been here in 2013 with the same Afghan Youth Orchestra. In that time, I stood in front of the audience with a different message. We had a different mission. In that time, through this beautiful orchestra, we wanted to show the positive changes that occurred in Afghanistan after the collapse of the Taliban.

[applause]

Dr. Ahmad Sarmast: We've been striving every day to build a beautiful Afghanistan, as beautiful as this orchestra. An Afghanistan that creates equal opportunities and embraces diversity. We never imagined that once again, we'll be here. We are very grateful to be here once again. Thank you very much, Carnegie Hall, for having us here.

[applause]

Dr. Ahmad Sarmast: This time, I'm standing here in front of you with a different mission and different message. My first mission and responsibility as an Afghan is to let you know that this beautiful music is no longer sounding in Afghanistan, is not longer played in Afghanistan. Afghanistan is today a silent nation without music. A country whose people is denied all their musical rights. Rights to music education, rights to listen to music, rights to play music, rights to make a living through music, it's not just the only denial of human rights that take place in Afghanistan. When we're celebrating the beauty of music, when we are speaking about the denial of the musical rights of Afghanistan, we cannot, and we do not have the right to keep silent and not bring to your attention the miseries of Afghan women, who are today systematically subject of gender apartheid in Afghanistan.

Today, when we are celebrating the ability of young musicians in this wonderful festival, and during the entire week, we experienced wonderful music presented by 700 young musicians from around the world. A small part of which was Afghanistan. Afghanistan, which is forced into silence, but today, together with you, we broke that silence. We keep breaking this silence. We keep resisting the sanction against music in Afghanistan, the ban of music in Afghanistan. We are confident that these dark days will be very soon gone and Afghanistan will be singing again.

[applause]

Dr. Ahmad Sarmast: Standing here in front of you was a huge task to get here, but it was possible. Thanks to the generous support of many people of goodwill. First of all, Carnegie Hall, thank you very much for having us.

[applause]

Dr. Ahmad Sarmast: Thank you very much for giving us this wonderful tribune or platform to spread the beauty of Afghan music and the message of resilience and hope. This tour could not be possible without the support of several good friends of the Afghanistan National Institute of Music who have been supporting us for the last several years. Whose support was important in sustaining and maintaining Afghanistan National Institute of Music in Portugal.

First of all, I would like to acknowledge the Jerome L. Greene Foundation, George Annenberg Weingarten, Ed Groh at Annenberg Foundation. I would like especially to acknowledge Regina and Gregory Annenberg Weingarten. They've been supporting us for the last few years. Their support was significantly crucial in maintaining Afghanistan National Institute of Music in exile.

I also would like to express my gratitude to Cahill and Gordon & Reindel law firm. They not only assisted and contributed to this tour, but for the last three years since the return of the Taliban and since this young musician had been taken in exile in Portugal, continuously when we needed legal assistance, they were the one who first stepped in and provided us pro bono legal support for whenever and wherever we need it.

[applause]

Dr. Ahmad Sarmast: The cycle of the Friends of the Afghanistan National Institute of Music is expanding every day, but slowly. I would like also to welcome within the Friends of ANIM, George and Ginger [unintelligible 02:58:50]. They also contributed to this tour to make this tour possible and enable us to stand here and play and share the beauty of Afghan music with you.

Back in early days of the return of the Taliban, when we were stuck in Afghanistan and when we've been striving day and night to get this young musician into safety and to give them another opportunity to hope and dream, we faced many legal challenges, including obtaining passports for our group to be able to leave Afghanistan. In those days, the legal company, Foley and Hoag, stepped in and tried their best to make our evacuation possible.

I would like to express a special thanks to Friends of ANIM, a not-for-profit organization established in New York City some 14 years ago to support Afghanistan National Institute of Music in Kabul. Since our departure from Kabul, we existing and we maintain our support thanks to their advocacy for us. Thank you very much, friends of ANIM, Leslie and Jessica.

[applause]

Dr. Ahmad Sarmast: Our presence here was impossible without not only the support of Carnegie Hall but also its artistic director, Clive Gillinson and Sarah Johnson.

[applause]

Dr. Ahmad Sarmast: After all this, but this evening was impossible without your presence. Thank you very much for coming to our concert. Thank you very much for supporting this young musicians. Your support is not just the support of this young musician, but your support is a symbol of solidarity with the struggle of the Afghan people against the tyranny and against the terror group, which is called the Taliban. Thank you very much for being with us. Thank you.

[applause]

John Schaefer: A few words from Dr. Ahmad Sarmast, the founder of the Afghan National Institute of Music, of which the Afghan Youth Orchestra is a part. Now, an encore.

[MUSIC - Ustad Awalmir: Maste Mange Bar by Afghan Youth Orchestra]

[applause]

Jeff Spurgeon: An encore of Maste Mange Bar, the well-known Pashto song composed and performed by Ustad Awalmir. It's a work you heard earlier on this program, but they provided it as an encore, a celebratory encore by this concert by the Afghan Youth Orchestra, a product of the Afghan National Institute of Music, founded in Afghanistan and now displaced, finding its home in Portugal, with the Taliban in charge of the nation of Afghanistan.

With that, the music making is over, not only by the Afghan Youth Orchestra and members of the European Union Orchestra in this concert tonight at Carnegie Hall, but it's also the conclusion of Carnegie Hall's World Orchestra Week, seven days of concerts by orchestras from five continents, including North America, two orchestras represented there, the National Youth Orchestra of the United States of America, a product of Carnegie Hall, and NYO2, Carnegie's orchestra for younger teens as well.

Backstage, I'm Jeff Spurgeon, alongside John Schaefer, and we are anticipating a visit with our conductor tonight, John, hear him talk a little bit about his fascinating year of work with these young musicians as this concert concludes.

John Schaefer: Musicians and dancers, because that literal encore of the Awalmir song, Maste Mange Bar, saw two dancers out on stage using the Afghan flag as a kind of shawl while they were dancing and then displaying it for the audience at the end of the performance on stage here at Carnegie Hall. Joining us is the conductor of the Afghan Youth Orchestra, which is, as Jeff just said, in exile in Portugal. The conductor is the Portuguese musician, Tiago Moreira da Silva, who has had a very busy night. How are you feeling?

Tiago Moreira da Silva: Yes, indeed. It was fantastic since the beginning till the end. A lot of energy. The public was amazing. The musicians were always happy, always with energy. They were very enthusiastic, so I'm really happy with the result.

John Schaefer: You did a little conducting of the audience as well.

Tiago Moreira da Silva: Yes, it's something that we normally do because, with the Afghans in the public, they always love to applaud and to join the orchestra, so I always conduct them as well.

Jeff Spurgeon: They seem to respond very well to your instructions tonight. How long ago did you find out about this performance? How long has the orchestra been preparing for this night?

Tiago Moreira da Silva: About three months because we were preparing other tours to UK, to Italy in the beginning of the year, and other concerts in Portugal as well. The last three months, we have been focused on this particular concert, especially the last month because the kids are in school most of the time. We have the rehearsals in the end of the day twice a week, and then in the last one month, they were more free to make rehearsals.

John Schaefer: When you say they are in school, is that the Afghan National Institute of Music, or they're in another school as well?

Tiago Moreira da Silva: Yes, they are in the Portuguese school as the Portuguese kids are. Then, additionally to that, they also learn some traditional instruments or have some theory classes with Indian theory lessons. They are quite busy because they need to learn Portuguese, they need to learn math and all the subjects, plus the Afghan Institute of Music subjects and activities as well.

Jeff Spurgeon: You have gotten so much from these musicians, I know, because you are trained in Western music, though you have a great love for traditional instruments, but you have gotten an education from these young people too in the music of their native country.

Tiago Moreira da Silva: Yes, I've been overwhelmed with all the music, all the instruments. Since the beginning, I was always in contact with them to learn how to play or how to write for them. They have a specific way of playing. They have a range that you cannot overpass, and so it's very important that I'm always in contact with them when I do the arrangements. It has been a great journey learning this music, learning all the traditions, and doing the arrangements for them.

John Schaefer: What's the communication like, is it in Portuguese or?

Tiago Moreira da Silva: Yes, it's a mix of Portuguese with English, with Persian, Dari. I also know some words, of course, but in the rehearsal is always a mix between of them. The main language is English and Portuguese, of course.

Jeff Spurgeon: What are your next goals for this group? Do you have another year of programming planned for them, a different set of lessons as they develop their understanding of Western music and Western theory. What are the next steps for the orchestra?

Tiago Moreira da Silva: The next steps is finding amazing music to start to arrange for them. We have a couple of upcoming tours next year. Now it's time to relax. For me to listen to a lot of Afghan music and select the good ones to start working with them when we start the academic year.

Jeff Spurgeon: Well, this has been a great adventure for so many of us tonight in hearing this music and we want to offer you tremendous congratulations. You are such a huge part of the success of this performance tonight. We really wish you well as the work continues with the Afghan Youth Orchestra. Thank you so much.

Tiago Moreira da Silva: Thank you very much for having me.

Jeff Spurgeon: Conductor Tiago Moreira da Silva, Portuguese musician who just a year or so ago found himself involved with a group of displaced Afghan musicians, and now he's bringing them into the Western canon and learning so much about traditional Afghan music himself. Leading this concert tonight by the Afghan Youth Orchestra as Carnegie Hall's World Orchestra Week comes to a close.

John Schaefer: Our thanks to Clive Gillinson and the staff of Carnegie Hall for all their help this week. WQXR's recording engineers, Edward Haber, George Wellington, Duke Marcos, Bill Sigmund, Noriko Okabe, and Ray Mandel-Mueller.

Jeff Spurgeon: WQXR's production team is Eileen Delahunty, Lauren Purcell-Joiner, Laura Boyman, Amy Buchanan, and Christine Herskovits.

John Schaefer: I'm John Schaefer.

Jeff Spurgeon: I'm Jeff Spurgeon. This is Classical New York. WQXR 105.9 FM at HD, Newark. 90.3 FM WQXW, Ossining, and WNYC FM HD2, New York. We now return you to the broadcast Studios of WQXR in progress with a performance by the Emerson String Quartet of Haydn's Emperor Quartet.

[03:12:09] [END OF AUDIO]

 

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