Orchestre Symphonique Kimbanguiste – Armand Diangienda Wabasolele, direction
THE FESTIVAL SUPPORTS THE ORCHESTRE SYMPHONIQUE KIMBANGUISTE OF KINSHASA
(Democratic Republic of Congo)
As part of the Printemps des Arts de Monte Carlo festival, the Orchestre Symphonique de Kinshasa Kimbanguiste (OSK), Democratic Republic of Congo was invited to perform a concert in Monaco on 6 April 2013. This orchestra survives without resources, with no subsidies, in a very poor country. They make their own instruments and because of the lack of resources, may have to use bicycle brake cables to make strings … But however unachievable it seemed, after many long years, the orchestra succeeded in creating and playing in Africa and Monte Carlo.
The concert was a resounding success, and the festival’s President, H.R.H the Princess of Hanover, gave the Orchestre de Kinshasa a harp, which they were unable to afford to buy themselves, due to lack of funding.
The musicians of the Orchestre Philharmonique de Monte-Carlo, moved by this exceptional determination to play despite a complete lack of funding, spontaneously held a dinner in their honour after the concert. Important contacts were thereafter formed to continue assisting this orchestra. On 7 June 2013, the Orchestre Symphonique Kimbanguiste gave a new concert in Kinshasa which was attended by H.R.H the Princess of Hanover, in the company of Mr. Monnet, director of the festival, QuatuorMonoïkos, and the Printemps des Arts de Monte-Carlo , without whom this project would not have taken place.
As part of the continuation of this successful operation, the collaboration between Monegasque institutions is expanding and continues. Thus, the Rainier III Academy of Music hosted the founders of the orchestra for a week’s training in 2014, and repeated this operation in 2015.
1 April, 2017, the festival marked a new stage in the links already established between Monaco and Kinshasa, by bringing the Orchestre Symphonique Kimbanguiste and the Orchestre Philharmonique de Monte-Carlo for a Beethoven concert in the Rainier III Auditorium.
In 2019, Printemps des Arts organized a crowdfunding campaign that ran for the duration of the Festival. The donations received are helping boost our support for the OSK (training of the harpist and a new instrument technician, in Monaco and Nice, gifts of new instruments, accessories, sets of strings and scores and the sending of the Prince Rainier III Academy’s instrument technician to Kinshasa to complete the training of instrument technicians on site).
You can support these musicians from Kinshasa as well!
You can donate any materials (scores, instruments, strings, etc.) directly on our premises. They will be presented on a regular basis, to the musicians of the Orchestre Symphonique de Kinshasa Kimbanguiste via their contacts in France.
Thank you on their behalf!
Infos :
FESTIVAL PRINTEMPS DES ARTS DE MONTE-CARLO
12 avenue d’Ostende – 98 000 Monaco – Tel +377 93 25 58 04
info@printempsdesarts.mc
November 2019
– The training of the OSK’s harpist, Mrs. Florsi Makizolela, from November 4 to 15, in Monaco (lessons at the Prince Rainier III Academy, meeting with Sophie Steckeler, harpist of the Monte-Carlo Philharmonic, during rehearsals of Donizetti’s opera “Lucia de Lammermoor”, under the baton of Roberto Abbado)
– The training of a new instrument technician, Mr. Patrice Ntela, from November 4 to 15, in Monaco (lessons at the Prince Rainier III Academy) and Nice (Sabatier instrument workshop)
March to April 2019: Crowdfunding campaign during the Festival, to fund new actions to support the orchestra
August 4, 2017: Feature story for Libération by Pierre Bennetti, special correspondent in Kinshasa
April 1, 2017: Four years after their memorable concert in Monaco, the OSK returns to the Festival!
Orchestre Symphonique Kimbanguiste & Orchestre Philharmonique de Monte-Carlo – Armand Diangienda Wabasolele & Julien Leroy, direction
April 29, 2016: Didier Maketa with Marc Monnet and Jean-Pierre Gasq at the ALLAIN & GASQ string-instrument and bow studio, in Nice
April 17, 2016: Didier Maketa returns to Monaco, for a 15-day training at the Prince Rainier III Academy.
From October 4 to 10, 2015: Stefano Visconti, Chorus Master of the Monte-Carlo Opera, goes to Kinshasa, to work with the OSK chorus.
April 5, 2015: Didier Maketa arrives for a 15-day training course at the Monaco Music Academy’s instrument workshop, to learn to both make and repair the orchestra’s instruments.
Read the article that appeared in Nice Matin on April 11 : “LE LUTHIER DE KINSHASA EN STAGE A MONACO”
February 4, 2015: Armand Diangienda Wasabolele, the OSK’s conductor, comes to Monaco to listen to rehearsals and complete his training with the Monte-Carlo Philharmonic.
