Diversity is the greatest treasure
Composer Volker Staub initiates the first Open World Festival
“…, says Staub. ‘To me, the greatest treasure of humankind is its diversity. Our globalized economy and culture are forces that have already destroyed many of these treasures.’ Staub himself has been witness to this phenomenon. In Tierra del Fuego at the southernmost tip of South America he encountered an elderly woman of the Yagan, asking her for some traditional songs. ‘She said that her sister had still known them, but unfortunately she had passed away two years ago’, the composer tells us. The music of the Yagan died out along with that woman.”
Diverse feast for the ear in the art gallery of Lingen
“… Just like that, programme flyers on display turn into waste paper. And it is little wonder since the ensemble has brought along a completely refurbished repertoire from its extensive tour through South America. The pieces, on top of conveying each an own message and being interpreted with the utmost professionalism, are part of an incomparable experience of openness, community and humanity. … The music of this One Earth-Orchestra is far from being a mass-market product of the so-called ‘world music’ which is usually sold to us. Still, this would be the kind of music which truly lives up to that term. The genres of its repertoire range from new music via folk through to jazz and dance music, including own compositions, improvisations and traditional interpretations … played by an orchestra with seven personalities … in an extraordinary as well as excellent and delightful style. … The sunny soirée started with a seemingly experimental composition for frame drum and simultaneously played recordings. Serbian(-sung) songs were gracefully followed by an utterly vivid homage to the heights of the Swabian Mountains. This music is fun, and within its great diversity it still remembers its roots. … To some spectators this might have been an unexpected scenery, but due to its vivid variety and its first-class artistic performance it has been a great feast. Thank you for this.”
One Earth Orchestra in San Clemente
“European compositions mingle with Asian, Arabic, Jewish and American music. The utterly virtuoso musicians take their audience into a fascinating world of sounds. … A project which offers more and better culture to everybody!” www.vivimoslanoticia.cl/?p=78035
Puerto Williams resonates with music of cultural diversity through the One Earth Orchestra
“In cooperation with the international programme to protect subantarctic culture and biodiversity, the municipality of Cabo de Hornos and Donald McIntyre Griffiths High School, the One Earth Orchestra gave instrumental lessons to the school’s pupils. … Diverse music of our time rooted in European, Asian, American, Arabic and Jewish traditions resounded during the evening concert. An equally diverse audience of pupils, teachers and other music lovers was enthralled by the melodies produced by wind and string instruments, piano and accordion, accompanied by a rhythmic virtuoso on all kinds of percussion instruments. … The unprecedented concert directed by the composer Volker Staub let the public enter a fascinating world of sounds.”
Radio Magallanes – la radio interactiva de la Patagonia, 8 March 2015
“ To the ensemble, ‘on the one hand, music is an independent art, and on the other, it is a globally spread way of communication, from man to man and from culture to culture.’ ”
Music of humanity, diversity and unity
“One Earth Orchestra staged a concert as an artistic contribution to the international Biodiversity Conference of the UN (CBD/COP 11) on Thursday, the 18th of October. … Their programme ranged from European, Arabic, Indian, Japanese and North American music from different eras, to collages of sounds and “weather instruments“, which are played by natural forces, and offered a stunning selection of our Earth’s music and sounds. … ‘The music of humankind has a great variety, but still, it originates from a common source, just like the star-shaped and colourful rays out of a crystal’, the musicians point out. … The programme underlines the close connection and interdependence between cultural and biological diversity.”
What the forest sings
“A gentle breeze tickling the leaves of the tree, the soft pitter-patter of raindrops on the roof, the cheerful whistling of the wind, or just the crazy symphony of the cicadas in the night time, … German music composer Volker Staub listens carefully to every delicate sound that Nature creates. His ‘One Earth Orchestra’ … has put together a special piece which is a dedication to all the sounds in the world … and combines the idea of music with biodiversity conservation.”