Rebeca Omordia set to perform in MUSON Centre, Romanian Embassy

The 2009 Delius Prize winner in international piano competitions, Rebeca Omordia, will be in Nigeria this week for another moment of classical music experience. The artist, who was in the country last year, where she wowed her Nigerian audiences for the first time since her professional career as a classical pianist began, has equally called on art music lovers to attend the concert, which to her, will signpost ‘a new beginning’ in the centre’s recent history. Omordia will be around from March 16 to 21, 2019. This time, she will, however, be shuttling between Abuja and Lagos.

Her dexterous touches and exhilarating performance were the culmination of a series of events held at the MUSON Centre in 2018. She also had a masterclass with the highly talented students of the MUSON School of Music.

She is already warming up for the two concerts, saying, “it is very special to me performing in my fatherland.”

When asked about her expectations, the Nigerian-Romanian pianist said, “last year, the Nigerian audiences made me feel like I truly belonged there. I’m honoured to perform at MUSON, the very centre of classical music in West Africa and happy to give a Masterclass to the talented piano students of MUSON School of Music. I’m very much looking forward to performing for them again.”

On Saturday, March 16, she is billed to have a masterclass in Lagos with students of the MUSON School of Music. The following day, March 17, will see her replicate the 2018 feat with a grand performance at the Agip Recital Hall.

Abuja will be Omordia’s next point of call on March 21, where she will be performing in a recital organised by the Romanian Embassy (Ambassador Gheorghe Predescu) to celebrate Romanian’s presidency at the European Union.
Omordia remains a trailblazer in her mission to bringing the Nigerian classical music in the position of priority. Between March last year, when she first visited, and now, she has done incredible works as an active promoter of the Nigerian and African classical music genre.

Her CD, EKELE, released last year on Heritage Records, featuring works by three Nigerian composers Ayo Bankole, Christian Onyeji and Fred Onovwerosuoke was a huge success in the UK and Europe.

It was also featured by a newspaper in Italy and was described as ‘appealing album’ (BBC Music Magazine), ‘fascinating programme’ (Gramophone Magazine) and ‘beautifully delivered recital’ (The Sunday Times).

In February 2019, she launched, as an artistic director, the first ever African Concert Series at the October Gallery in London, in partnership with the Institute of Music & Art AM15, series described by the BBC as the African Art Music makes a comeback.

AMI5 appointed the prize-winning classical pianist to curate a music programme that reflects the depth and diversity of African art music, the richly diverse genre of music that originated in Ghana and Nigeria, which form a bridge between Western classical music and traditional African music.