On a recent trip for the mdw, I had a two day stopover in Doha, Qatar where I had the opportunity to get to know a little about the rich culture and history of the country and to visit the Qatar Music Academy. The modern, elegant metropolis of Doha has burst forth in just a few decades. What in the first half of the 20^th century was just a small desert settlement still relying chiefly on pearl fishing for its survival, has transformed in just a short time into a major player on the global stage, not only politically and economically, but in the arts and particularly the field of music as well. This is evidenced in the beautiful Katara Cultural Village. Located on the East coast between the West Bay and the Pearl, it was created specifically to encourage artistic exchange between the Qatari and the expat populations. The Qatar Music Academy is an integral force in this effort. I was fortunate to receive a personal tour of the school from Dr. Ozgur Mert Esen, who is the Principal and the Head of the Western Music Department.

The Qatar Music Academy is an essential part of the musical life in Qatar and it is growing and flourishing at a similar pace to the country itself. It was founded as a preparatory and pre/college institution in January 2011 and today boasts a student body of about 600. The Academy offers studies in both Western music and Arabic music. In this way the school is a perfect reflection of the diverse population and culture of Qatar itself. It is an ideal hub for fostering innovation and understanding between the different cultural traditions.

Another aspect of the thriving music life here is the QPO, Qatar Philharmonic Orchestra which had its inaugural concert in October 2008, just over two years before the opening of QMA, Qatar Music Academy. The orchestra, which puts on a regular concert season, is comprised of excellent musicians from around the world with many of them also teaching at the QMA. While visiting the Academy I met the two clarinetists from the orchestra, Thomas Gnausch from Germany and Rony Moser from Austria who is an alumnus of the Mozarteum and the University of Music and Performing Arts, Graz and also teaches at the QMA.

These two institutions, the QMA and the QPO are at the heart of the thriving music scene here in Qatar. The Music Academy is also actively involved educating the country’s audiences. In addition to the Western Music and Arabic Music Departments, the QMA also has a Music for All program, providing learning opportunities for adult students as well as a Music Appreciation program providing an introduction to both Western and Arabic music for pre-schoolers. In this way the school is building the audience of the present and future.

The country of Qatar has a philosophy of embracing its many diverse cultures and incorporating them into the fabric of its society. The Academy of Music is a core element woven into this fabric. By offering the populace a firm grounding in Western Music performance and research while providing a means to promote and further develop Arabic Music studies and performance, it binds together these different cultures through the universal language of music. It will be interesting to see what new developments in both musical traditions come from this part of the world in the future.

Impressions from the bicycle tour alongside the coast of Doha: