JERUSALEM, June 23, 2011 (WAFA) - Forty young musicians from refugee camps, villages, and cities throughout the West Bank travelled to Jerusalem on June 22, 2011, for a special concert performance sponsored by the U.S. Consulate General in Jerusalem. Al Kamandjati Association’s “Orchestra Ramallah” performed at Al Hakawati Theater in East Jerusalem as a part of its annual Music Days Festival. The youth orchestra consists of young Palestinians whose love of music inspires them to participate in Al Kamandjati’s rigorous after-school and intensive summer musical training program in Ramallah and throughout the West Bank. 

In support of Al Kamandjati’s long-term goal of creating a world-class Palestinian youth orchestra, the U.S. Department of State and the U.S. Consulate General in Jerusalem have sponsored Al Kamandjati since 2008 with grants that assist with student tuition, salaries for American instructors, concerts, and an annual summer music camp. The 2011 summer music camp begins June 25; 100 youth will participate in the camp, which will bring together aspiring young Palestinian musicians and  professional Palestinian, American, and international musicians for one week of musical training and daily concert performances at Talitha Kumi School. For the fifth year in a row, renowned American violinist Peter Sulski will serve as the camp’s Artistic Director. 

American Cultural Affairs Officer Cynthia Harvey praised the Al Kamandjati Association for its dedication to Palestinian youth and its efforts to promote cultural development and international exchange at the community level. She also commended 'Orchestra Ramallah' for its impressive performances of Beethoven and Marcel Khalife.

The U.S. Consulate General in Jerusalem's support of Al Kamandjati is one of many educational, cultural, and professional development exchange programs sponsored throughout the year in the West Bank, East Jerusalem, and the Gaza Strip to promote dialogue and mutual understanding between Palestinians and Americans. 

For more information please contact the U.S. Consulate General’s Information Assistant Hassna Dajani at 054-6620257.

F.J.