by Kyaw Kyaw Tun

When foreign musicians visit Southeast Asia, Gitameit, Yangon’s leading music school, wastes no time in snapping them up for a workshop. That is how Austrian musician and conductor, Goesta Muller, came to be holding a class in Yangon two weeks ago for 30 students from Gitameit, Thamine Church and one of the leading international schools. Mr. Muller said that while staying in Bangkok, he was contacted by Gitameit founder Kit Young. "Through her invitation, I got the chance to come here," he said.

Mr. Muller was full of praise for his students at the January 6th workshop. "I was very pleased to work with them," he said. "They are very alert and eager to make music. I really want to come back here to see them play and play with them again," he added, saying he plans to return in June.

U Moe Naing, a senior member of the centre, said workshops with foreign musicians were not only beneficial to students, but to senior musicians as well. "We need such workshops very much," he said. "Only through workshops with foreign musicians can we evaluate ourselves and our abilities in comparison with other countries. Playing instruments and singing alone is no help. We should see how other musicians play and we need to receive critiques from music experts," U Moe Naing said. Ms Kit Young said concerts and workshops are an important way of improving the skills of musicians.

The students performed pieces by world famous composers for Mr. Muller before being joined by him on keyboard for Concerto Groso No. 3 in E minor by Georg Friederic Handel and the Baroque Period Piece for Orchestra. The Gitameit choir also performed their usual repertoire of Water of Tyne, What a Wonderful World, and Yesterday by the Beatles.