Russian Violinist Simonyan Fiddles to Fund Afghan Music School
Violinist Mikhail Simonyan. The Russia-born musician formed a nonprofit, Beethoven Not Bullets, to raise money for the Afghanistan National Institute of Music, which offers music education for young musicians in the war-torn land. Photographer: Lisa-Marie Mazzucco/Christina Jensen PR via Bloomberg
Founder and project director of the Afghanistan National Institute of Music, Dr. Ahmad Sarmast, left, and William Harvey, violin and viola teacher in Kabul, Afghanistan. Six months ago, violinist Mikhail Simonyan launched Beethoven Not Bullets, to help raise money for the music school. Source: ANIM/Christina Jensen PR via Bloomberg
The exterior of the Afghanistan National Institute of Music in Kabul, Afghanistan. Six months ago, violinist Mikhail Simonyan launched Beethoven Not Bullets, to help raise money for the music school. Source: ANIM/Christina Jensen PR via Bloomberg
Last year, Mikhail Simonyan read an article about how Afghan youths were deprived of music instruction under the Taliban. The Russian violinist could recall stories about artistic expression being stifled in his own country.
So six months ago Simonyan launched Beethoven Not Bullets, a nonprofit, to help raise money for the Afghanistan National Institute of Music.
“A society without music and culture is empty,” Simonyan, 25, said in an interview from his New York home. “This is about the education of a generation. Music is the key to their success.”
Simonyan, who was 13 when he made his debut at New York’s Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts, will gather with friends from the New York Philharmonic tonight at City Winery to raise money for Afghan music school. His performance is part of a classical showcase produced by Music Unites, a New York nonprofit that helps needy students get music instruction.
Simonyan will perform Schumann’s Piano Quartet in G Minor for piano, violin, viola and cello. He’ll also perform the Handel/Johan Halvorsen Passacaglia in G Minor for Violin and Viola and a work by the Russian violinist and composer Nathan Milstein.
The $30 ticket price will be used to fund instruction at the Afghan music school, which costs $360 per student, Simonyan said. Run by Ahmad Sarmast, the school teaches Afghan and Western classical music, as well as basic educational courses.
Pitch to Prince
“There is a lack of money to support culture in Afghanistan,” Simonyan said. “With the collapse of the Taliban regime, the country is rebuilding, but they’re not focused on rebuilding the culture.”
Simonyan said Beethoven Not Bullets has raised about $7,000 from friends and musicians, including Liang Wang, the Philharmonic’s principal oboist.
This week, Simonyan plans to solicit support from Prince Charles after a private solo performance at Buckingham Palace for Queen Elizabeth. The prince, who oversees several family charities, met Simonyan earlier this year.
“Prince Charles is a musician who plays cello, he’s a colleague in a sense,” Simonyan said. “To get him involved would be absolutely amazing for me and the kids in Afghanistan.”
Simonyan performs tonight at City Winery, 155 Varick St. Information: +1-212-608-0555; http://www.citywinery.com
To contact the writer on this story: Patrick Cole in New York at pcole3@bloomberg.net.
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