The Russian style

A brand new Russian-style music school is set to open its doors to young musicians in September.

The ‘Life in Music’ school in Sanad is the brain child of 33-year-old Belarusian concert pianist, Olga Aoust.
The talented musician aims to share the Russian-style of teaching classical music with Bahrain’s young musicians.
“Russian musical education and performing arts are world famous,” explained Ms Aoust, “and I saw that there was a cultural hole here that needed to be filled.”
“In the Russian system we focus on performance. All the exams are taken on stage and the student is assessed on the way in which he or she performs music learnt by heart. It’s a real education and it takes lots of hard work.”
Setting up the school has been a labour of love. It has taken Ms Aoust, who previously worked in partnership with Ibn Khuldoon School, three years to acquire the license to establish the music school.
“I thank Ibn Khuldoon School because without them this could not have happened. They helped me and supported and believed in this project,” she said.
She believes that the new school will encourage talented students to reach professional status.
“There are many gifted children here, but there is a problem that some kids in Bahrain need to be encouraged,” she explained, “but I have students who will be great.” 
Rigorous training will allow students to complete the eight grades that, according to the Russian system, allow the student to attend music college.
The school has a number of experienced teachers and offers packages that include tuition and instruments as well as lessons in music history and theory.
Master classes with celebrated musicians and composers and exchanges to music schools in Europe will also be on offer.
To reinforce the Russian tradition the school has secured an affiliation with the Russian State Music Academy.
Ms Aoust also says she hopes to establish an exchange programme with the Republican College of Music at Belarusian State Academy of Music – a school for gifted children which she attended.
Ms Aoust has been playing music since the age of six. At 18 she joined the Belarus State Conservatoire and has since played for numerous orchestras throughout Europe and the US, as well as the Conservatoire National de Saint-Maur, France where she became an assistant professor.
She has also won several international music awards, including a gold medal at the International Music Festival at the National Superior Conservatoire in France and the Concerto Competition in Bowling Green State University, US.
She is passionate that Life in Music will be a success. “There are already 80 students and I hope it will expand,” said Ms Aoust.
For more information contact 17625583 or visit www.lifeinmusicbahrain.com.

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By -RdS-
editor@gulfweekly.com