Muscat: The American International School of Muscat (TAISM) hosted the AMIS International High School Choir Festival from 1-5 March. Students from 25 schools all around the world came to Oman to sing, learn, collaborate, and perform in a gala performance for members of the TAISM community and special guests.

The Association for Music in International Schools (AMIS) is dedicated to the promotion of excellence at all levels of music education in international schools. The mission of AMIS is to advance the education of students and teachers throughout the world by developing their understanding, knowledge and appreciation of music, promote high standards of musical performance by all international school students, to advance the education of students and their teachers in global issues and cultural diversity through the performance and study of music, and to promote furtherance of educationally valuable music repertoire.

Guest Conductors Michael Barrett, Melanie Brink, and Jason Drahos joined students representing 37 nationalities over the three day event. 16 TAISM students took part in the festival, performing for their own family and friends in the international Gala Event on Saturday evening.

“This is the biggest international AMIS High School Honor Choir event happening in the world this year,“ says Mira Boyadzhieva, Choir Director at TAISM and organiser of the festival. “The theme of the festival is ‘Beauty Everywhere’. We chose this theme because if people open their eyes, ears, minds and senses, they’ll see that there truly is beauty everywhere. We will explore that during the festival through beautiful singing, music-making, and friendship-building.”

“At this event, students will perform the world premiere of two songs that were commissioned for the festival,” says Keith Montgomery, Executive Director of AMIS. “Both of these pieces by award-winning composer Kyle Pederson, were to be performed in the Bosch Center specifically, when this event was scheduled to take place in spring 2020. After the cancellation of that festival due to the pandemic, I have had many requests to perform those pieces, but I’ve declined every request because it wasn’t the right time. And now is the right time to perform these two commissions, created for AMIS students to sing here in Oman.”

“TAISM is honoured to be hosting this prestigious international choral music event on our campus,” says Kevin Schafer, School Director at TAISM. “Additionally, we are proud to have 16 TAISM High School Choir students selected to participate in the three ensembles.“

“Our exceptional music facilities, including the Bosch Center for the Performing Arts, create the optimal environment for music performance. At TAISM, a broad-based education is a core aspect for our programme, as this assists our students’ understanding of humankind’s intellectual traditions and accomplishments, and strengthens powers of thought, judgment, and aesthetic appreciation.”