East Meets West: The Al Farabi Concerto and GCC Polo Cup Celebrate 10 Years of the BMG Foundation

BMG Foundation launches two high-profile charitable events this summer to forge networks between business and social leaders of the East and West. The world famous English Chamber Orchestra will perform the music of Arab composers at a unique concert in the City of London on June 19, followed by the charitable equestrian GCC Polo Cup on June 20.

(PRWEB) May 16, 2007 -- BMG Foundation launches two high-profile charitable events this summer to forge networks between business and social leaders of the East and West. The world famous English Chamber Orchestra will perform the music of Arab composers at a unique concert in the City of London on June 19, followed by the charitable equestrian GCC Polo Cup on June 20.

Each summer, members of the European and Middle Eastern royal families, international dignitaries, captains of industry, political leaders, business leaders and world famous celebrities gather at the prestigious Guards Polo Club at Windsor in the United Kingdom, to mingle and advance the noble cause of charity.

The annual GCC Polo Cup, organized by the BMG Foundation, brings together high profile international business and social leaders motivated by a shared charitable intent. Over the last 10 years, the highly-successful event has raised hundreds of thousands of pounds for needy people from a wide diversity of cultures across the world through well-established charities including the Prince's Trust in the UK, the Disabled Children's Association of Saudi Arabia, the Graham Layton trust in Pakistan, the Barakat Trust in the UK, and the Friends of the Disabled Association in Lebanon.

The GCC Polo Cup also seeks to both enhance and cement the cultural, social and sporting links existing between Eastern and Western nations and to form new and further develop existing ties between business leaders. Furthermore, participation in the event as sponsor demonstrates the willingness of major businesses to contribute to the global community of which they are part and that sustains them.

This year, BMG Foundation will launch the first in a series of concerts, Al Farabi Concerto, featuring the music of exceptionally gifted composers from the Middle East. These concerts will be performed by the UK's most acclaimed orchestras, soloists and conductors, initially in London's most prestigious concert venues, followed by performances in European capitals and in the Middle East.

The Al Farabi idea was born in 2004 when Oliver Butterworth, Professor at Trinity College of Music, London and Director of Musicstage Promotions Limited, realized that Arab composers were under-represented in international contemporary classical music circles. He began extensive research into works of contemporary Arab composers and came across many exceptionally gifted composers in the Middle East. All of these musicians deserve international exposure and recognition, and most are underappreciated in their own communities. The importance of rectifying this situation and reviving the ethos of Al Farabi in the modern Arab world was recognized by Antar Nakshbandi, Chairman and motivator in taking the project forward.

BMG Foundation, led by Basil Al Ghalayini, immediately appreciated the value of this initiative and came onboard as co-founder and manager of the series. The Al Farabi project is now under the BMG Foundation umbrella, along with the GCC Polo Cup and Art Alive, thus completing the triangle of BMG Foundation's corporate cultural responsibility (CCR) mission. "Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) has become a cornerstone of every world class institution's activities," says Mr. Al Ghalayini. "However, with BMG Foundation's CCR mission, we are adding a cultural flavor to our social and community work."

The goal of Al Farabi Concerto is to give these musicians from the Middle East the international exposure they deserve, highlighting the high artistic achievement of contemporary Arab culture, and to create networks between artists of the East and West. The Al Farabi series will welcome the major artistic talents and achievements of the Arab peoples onto the world cultural stage.

Both events help enhance global perceptions of the Arab world by demonstrating the high art and sporting achievements of the region. Guests this year include Sir David Frost, Dame Helen Mirren, CNN's Chief Correspondent Christiane Amanpour and husband James Rubin former President Clinton representative, Joseph Fiennes, Oswald Boateng, Jermaine Jackson, global artist / music producer P.Diddy and James Bond Legend Pierce Brosnan. The funds raised by these two events, as well as the international recognition of the Middle East's gifted composers, will help uplift and create a better understanding between Arab and Western communities, not only in the region but also around the world.

For further information please contact:
Baba Epega / Jayjay Epega
EMC3 / Epegamedia - Tel: +44 (0)20 8962 0601/ Fax: +44 (0)20 8962 0575

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