Apple Hill: American musicians in Damascus to unite the world with music
Syria-USA, Culture, 2/21/2000

"The Syrians are warm, knowledgeable, and enthusiastic, very loving, and cultured. We feel very comfortable and we love to be here with the people trying to touch, entertain and challenge and mainly to inspire them ," said Eric Stumacher, the director of the US Apple Hill Chamber players. The Apple Hill Chamber music players performed their superb music in the two Syrian cities of Damascus on February 12 at al-Assad Library and on February 13 at al-Safir hotel in Homs.

The visit is the third cultural exchange to be sponsored by the American Cultural Center in Damascus, the Syrian Ministry of Culture and the Syrian higher institute for music and drama. The ensemble's first visit to Syria was in 1992, the second was in 1994.

Stumacher added, "In our ensemble we honor the voice of everybody whether they are old, young, professional musicians, amateur musicians or audiences. Everybody is equally important, respected and welcome. And the aim behind that is we try to include people in what we do ."

Stumacher, who is also is also a pianist at the ensemble, continued that the question is, "If we can gather everybody by music, why can not we gather them in other areas of life? So we use culture to bring people together to create a world community. And in this sense, we find the Syrians, people and musicians are very good in this."

On cooperation with the Syrian side, he said we had a workshop with the Syrian side at the Higher institute for drama and Music in Damascus, run in cooperation with the institute's director, Solhi al-Wadi, and, "We heard a traditional Syrian music which is beautiful."

One of the greatest dimensions of the philosophy of the Apple Hill is the award of scholarships offered for musicians from different parts of the world to attend a one-month summer school in New Hampshire. The candidates for the scholarships are chosen from the musicians who attend the workshops run all over the countries visited by the ensemble.

During the ensemble's recital given at al-Assad Library in Damascus, the US ambassador announced one scholarship for a Syrian musician who took part at the music institute workshop.

He said, "So far, 14 Syrian students have been awarded such scholarships," noting that, "The idea behind these scholarships is to use the most beautiful music we perform and teach to inspire all the people in the Middle East and people through the US and all over the world to be friends and to be together in cooperation."

The Apple Hill troupe started 28 years ago in a summer school in Nelson, New Hampshire. It was founded by Eric Stumacher. In their current tour of the Middle East the troupe's quintet has played in Jordan, Egypt, Syria and Lebanon and will also play in Cyprus. It is composed of five musicians: Stumacher, a pianist, Elise Kuder (violin), Peter Sulski (viola), Robert Thompson (cello) and Richard Hartshorne (double bass).

With the great turnout the Apple Hill quintet witnessed in Syria, it had once again proven its humanitarian message to use music in promoting understanding and friendship.

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