The musicians will take part in workshops and rehearsals over the last weekend of Alchemy, culminating in a public performance in The Clore Ballroom at Royal Festival Hall on 26 May, 3pm. The exchange will be led by Samyo’s Principal Conductor, Gaurav Mazumdar and Composer Fraser Trainer.

We asked Gaurav Mazumdar, Principal Conductor of Samyo, and Fraser Trainer why they think a collaboration like this is important 

GM: It is after a long struggle that music is coming back to the people of Afghanistan. This exchange is a great step in the process as our young musicians strive to understand and communicate with each other across cultures. I look forward to the experience and the opportunity to collaborate, teach, learn, perform and inspire.

FT: I’m passionate about making new music with people that inherently reflects who we are and where we come from but also takes us somewhere new. By looking outside our own culture and venturing outside of what is familiar to us we not only learn how others see the world and see us but also find a new perspective on the way we do things. It’s another angle on our own traditions, education and set of sensibilities. We are enriched by learning, see other creative pathways and gain the potential to affect, develop or even change our own practice and traditions.

Image credit: Mithushan Sivagurunathar