Iraqi Youth Orchestra Cancels American Trip - NYTimes.com
6/25/14 11:17 AM
Iraqi Youth Orchestra Cancels American Trip By ALLAN KOZINN June 19, 2014 4:23 pm
For the 43 teenage musicians of the National Youth Orchestra of Iraq, it was a dream about to come true: the ensemble, formed by the Iraqi pianist Zuhal Sultan in 2008, was planning to visit the United States this summer to work a similarly constituted American group, the Elgin Youth Symphony Orchestra, of Elgin, Ill., and then to perform in Elgin, Washington, D.C., Chicago and possibly New York (a concert was in the planning stages). But the instability in Iraq has forced the orchestra to cancel the trip. “We had a wonderful model,” said Rachel Maley, an alumnus of the Elgin ensemble who now works for the orchestra in various capacities, and is the project manager for the visit. “The orchestra was to arrive in Elgin at the end of July, and spend three weeks working with our orchestra before going on tour. Fifteen of our string players were going to travel with them, for artistic and musical support as well as cultural exchange, which was an important part of the tour.” Early this week, however, the Elgin orchestra received a message from its contact at the American embassy in Baghdad, saying that because of the insurgency in Iraq, the embassy’s staff had been moved to different areas of Baghdad, and that visa-granting process has therefore been suspended. Because it is impossible to predict whether visas would be available in time, the orchestra canceled its travel plans. “As it was,” Ms. Maley said, “the musicians faced considerable difficulty,
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Iraqi Youth Orchestra Cancels American Trip - NYTimes.com
6/25/14 11:17 AM
since they come from every province in the country, and had to travel to the embassy in Iraq for interviews. We were working on solutions, but now with the insurgency, and with the embassy putting the processes necessary to get a visa on hold, it became impossible.” Will the orchestra get a rain check? “It’s difficult to say,” Ms. Maley said, “but everyone here was thrilled to have the opportunity to work with young musicians from Iraq, and we want to continue the partnership. Perhaps it will work out next summer.” A version of this article appears in print on 06/20/2014, on page C2 of the NewYork edition with the headline: Iraqi Youth Orchestra Cancels Visit to U.S..
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