Education & Outreach
Inspired to share its activities with the wider community, United Strings of Europe offers educational and interactive workshops for youngsters and adults which explore a wide range of musical, historical and interpersonal topics essential to music making. These include a presentation of the different roles in an ensemble, how to work effectively in a team, the power of musical expression, compositional as well as instrumental techniques, and an introduction to the art of conducting.
USE has been invited to give workshops at the International and Eden schools in Geneva, as well as Notre Dame University, International College, Antonine University and Brummana High School in Lebanon. The ensemble has also lead a number of successful side-by-side projects at the the Conservatories of Valence and Romans in France, coached young musicians from the Lebanese National Conservatory, and premiered a whole programme of new works written for the ensemble by students from Dr Arturo Corrales’ advanced composition class at the Conservatoire de Musique et Danse in Geneva.
The ensemble has partnered with NGOs in Lebanon, namely the United Lebanon Youth Project and Al Kamandjati, to work with refugees and disadvantaged youth. Alongside its New Horizons International Artist Series, USE runs an outreach programme linked to the Islington Council for Migrants and Refugees and Amnesty International's Human Rights Action Centre in London. The programme sees the musicians of USE dialogue about music and culture with recent migrants, asylum seekers and refugees.
Outreach projects are usually organised around the ensemble’s touring schedule, allowing the members to share their enthusiasm for the repertoire they are performing and to build links with local institutions and the wider community.
