One night only! Musicians of the World Symphony Orchestra presents East Meets West- The World Unites in Music

Joseph Milo, conductor
Monday, October 19 at Centre Pierre Péladeau

To see an uplifting video about the Orchestra: Musicians of the World Symphony Orchestra

MONTREAL, October 2009 – The Musicians of the World Symphony Orchestra (MWSO), under the conductorship of Joseph Milo,

is pleased to announce a unique folk and classical music concert featuring invited guest artist ensembles from five different parts of the world. Musicians from China, India, the Middle East, Peru and Africa will engage you with their wide spectrum of pieces in the first half of the evening. They will then join the Musicians of the World Symphony Orchestra and continue to wow you even further. The MWSO's nickname is The People's Orchestra- people from around the world for the people of Montreal

The MWSO has been unbelievably prolific in the over three years they have been together, having performed 20 concerts. This u

pcoming international program includes: The Butterfly Lovers, segments of a violin concerto performed by soloist, Venus Fu, rich with ancient Chinese folklore; Ragleela, an ensemble playing selections in the spirit of India; Okto Echo, a group dedicated to the advancement of Middle Eastern traditional music in a modern style; Armonia Andina, haunting melodies of the Andes in a mix of Peruvian, Argentinian

and Bolivian music, and Samajam, an exciting African percussion band to enhance the evening with lively rhythms!

The guest musicians will then join the MWSO after the intermission for the presentation of Dvorak's New World Symphony, subtitled The Global Sound. Here, they will be performing solos in a fascinating dialogue with the orchestral musicians. Dvorak was inspired to write the New World Symphony by the various peoples he saw in America, so different from what he was used to in Europe. The concert will culminate in a grand finale with everyone playing together, all artistically integrated, and inspiring a 'world at peace, through music'. This special concert experience is not to be missed.

The Musicians of the World Symphony Orc

hestra was created to fulfill a very special

need in the Montréal musical community. Conductor Joseph Milo realized that there were a large number of talented musicians from all over the world who, after immigrating to Canada, could not find orchestral playing opportunities despite their talent. Consequently, he took the initiative to form a multicultural orchestra

that would offer a platform on which to he

lp these musicians showcase their talents while integrating into the Montréal musical community. For Milo, the Musicians of the World Symphony Orchestra exceeds the sum of its parts. And for this East Meets West concert in particular, that is truer than ever, "We at the MWSO are the bridge connecting music of the world for the benefit of music lovers the world over."

This orchestra is extremely meaningful for the member musicians and this concert in particular personifies the orchestra's mission. Being part of the MWSO is vital to Venus Fu, concertmaster, "The Orchestra provided new hope to all these immigrant musicians; they can once again contribute their talent to the promotion of art and culture." For Paul Serralheiro, the MWSO has expanded his musical world, "The orche

stra has been a means for me to get out and be part of a larger experience of music making." For many, such as Anna Levitina, being part of the Musicians of the World Symphony Orchestra has meaning beyond just playing together, "The orchestra gave me an opportunity to meet many wonderful people, to find a stimulus for enhancing my performance and to enrich my life in general."

Made up of over 50 musicians from all over the world, the MWSO is the first of its kind in Canada, and has been received with great enthusiasm by the City of Montréal. Their dream is to eventually tour to every country that makes up the orchestra, including Korea, China, Russia, Armenia, Romania, Germany, Iran, New Zealand, Venezuela, Estonia, Greece, USA, Moldovia, Kazakhstan, Egypt, Hungary, Scandinavia, Israel, Albania, Portugal and Bellarusse, among others.

"At first there were musicians who would r

ather not sit together in the same room, but the music, the need for colleagues and friends made the group cohesive almost from the beginning, and egos quickly evaporated."-Lucy Ravinsky, Executive Director, MWSO

For further information please visit: www.musiciansoftheworld.ca

Musicians of the World Symphony Orchestra- One Night only!
East Meets West- The world unites in music
Monday, October 19, 2009 at 8:00 pm
Salle Pierre Mercure at the Centre Pierre Péladeau
 300 blvd. de Maisonneuve Est
Tickets: $35, $25 for students and seniors. Group rates available.
Tickets can be purchased from the Orchestra office: 514 484-7428 or Salle Pierre Mercure, 514 987-6919 as well as from Admission, 514-790-1245, www.admission.com
(Service charges applicable- save money by purchasing tickets directly at the box office or reserving through the Orchestra office)

About Joseph Milo, conductor and Orchestra founder

Joseph Milo, conductor, composer and pianist, is a graduate of the Israeli Academy of Music, and has studied with various masters in the US and Italy. He is also a graduate of McGill University, graduating with distinction in conducting, under the tutelage of Alexander Brott. While living in New York, Mr. Milo directed various orchestral ensembles, choirs and musical theatre, and taught in a number of music schools. In Montreal, he directed the Montreal Junior Symphony Orchestra under the patronage of Sir Wilfrid Pelletier, the Hampstead Chamber Orchestra, many choirs and was the music director of the Saidye Bronfman Center for the Arts for many years. Mr. Milo founded the Musicians of The World Symphony Orchestra in 2006 to offer a platform for immigrant professional musicians in Montreal.