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2012 Events

National Symphony Orchestra performs in Port of Spain

June 16, 2012
NSO performing

Maestro Christoph Eschenbach leads the NSO

Gift Exchange

Maestro Christoph Eschenbach receives a gift of a steelpan from pannist Len "Boogsie" Sharpe. Others in photo are Rita Shapiro, Executive Director of the NSO, Ambassador Beatrice W. Welters, Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar and Anthony Welters

June 16, 2012: The National Symphony Orchestra (NSO), based at the Kennedy Centre in Washington D. C, performed for a packed audience at the Lord Kitchener Auditorium- National Academy for the Performing Arts (NAPA), Port of Spain on June 15, 2012.

The concert was in commemoration of Trinidad and Tobago’s 50th anniversary of Independence, to be celebrated on August 31st. It was the Orchestra’s second stop in its first international concert tour of the Americas.

The NSO’s appearance in Port of Spain was a collaborative effort between the U.S. Embassy and the Government of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago.

Leading the dignitaries at the concert were President George Maxwell Richards, Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar, U.S. Ambassador Beatrice W. Welters and several Caribbean Prime Ministers and U.S. Ambassadors to the region.

Music Director of the NSO, Maestro Christoph Eschenbach, led the orchestra through a rousing performance of Shepherd’s “Blue Blazes”, Strauss’s “Suite from Der Rosenkavalier” and Beethoven’s “Symphony No. 7 in A major, Op. 92”.

In addition to the concert, the Maestro also conducted a master class with the T&T Youth Philharmonic Orchestra at Theatre 1- Academy for the Performing Arts, NAPA. 

Percussionists from the NSO also performed with the National Steel Symphony Orchestra in a lunch time concert for school children at NAPA.

At a courtesy call on Prime Minister Persad-Bissessar  prior to the concert, the Maestro received a gift of T&T’s steelpan from master pannist Len “Boogsie” Sharpe and was entertained, together with other members of the NSO, at a dinner at the Diplomatic Centre.

View photos of the event at http://trinidad.usembassy.gov/galleries.html