European musicians tour Jordan to ‘bring comfort’ to Syrians, Jordanians

AMMAN — In the midst of traumatic events and humanitarian crises, the beauty of art can bring solace to those in pain. Aiming to provide this warmth to Syrian refugees and host communities in Jordan, a group of classical musicians from Germany and Switzerland are getting ready to set off on a “one-of-its-kind” musical tour around the Kingdom.

“With its 6 million inhabitants, Jordan has in the meantime become host to 1.4 million refugees from countries in crisis throughout this region. Most of them do not live in refugee camps but have settled in small places living amid the locals, the host communities. During these turbulent times, music offers comfort to people and this is what we musicians would like to do,” said violonist Verena-Maria Fitz, who will take part in the “Concerts for a World In Motion” initiative alongside four musicians from the Lucerne Festival Orchestra between June 29 and July 7.

The idea, which came from violinist Stefan Arzberger after the overwhelming response to a similar event organised for the victims of the Fukushima reactor catastrophe, aims to “give comfort, confidence and to convey a sense of solidarity with people in need”, the violinist told The Jordan Times. 

“At first, there was the idea to set a sign of solidarity for the many people who had to flee from crisis-hit areas in the region. And the best way to do so was by using the universally applicable language of music, which contributes at the same time to international understanding,” Arzberger said, stressing the importance of “living the human approach and being with the refugees”.

The tour, which will include 8 concerts in Azraq Refugee Camp and host communities in Irbid, Mafraq, Salt and Amman, will consist of performances by Arzberger and Fitz, cello player Konstantin Pfiz, viola player Béatrice Muthelet and clarinetist Marco Thomas, according to the organisers. 

“We only receive a very limited picture of the [Syrian crisis] situation here in Europe. So, why not simply go there and generate closeness and understanding for one another,” highlighted Arzberger, voicing his appreciation for the Lucerne Festival, JOHUD, the Goethe Institute, the Norwegian Refugee Council, the German and Swiss embassies as well as private donors, which “helped to make this initiative come true”.

Once in Jordan, the musicians will also receive support from the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR), which welcomed the musicians’ initiative as “a uniting human gesture”. 

The week-long tour will conclude on July 7 with a closing concert in Amman for embassies, cultural institutes and representatives of international relief organisations, Arzberger said, expressing hope to see the project become “a long-term and sustainable institution with further concerts in countries of crisis”.