Zimbabwean cellist Emma Price is set to take centre stage in a historic classical music tour that will bring some of the world’s brightest young musicians to Zimbabwe this month, marking the first time the Morningside Music Bridge has staged performances in Africa.
Price will join three internationally-acclaimed young artistes — Amaryn Olmeda of the United States, Emad Zolfaghari of Canada and Mohammed Alshaikh of Palestine — for a four-concert series celebrating the programme’s 30th anniversary.
The tour opens in Bulawayo at the Zimbabwe Academy of Music on May 22 and closes the following day before moving to Harare for performances at the Hellenic Academy on May 29 and the Arundel Chapel on May 30.
Local choirs, students and professional musicians are expected to join the visiting quartet, turning the concerts into a cultural exchange that celebrates talent and collaboration.
For Price, the performances represent a poignant homecoming. The gifted cellist is among the many young musicians whose artistic journeys have been shaped by Morningside Music Bridge, a scholarship-based programme that has, over three decades, nurtured more than 1 000 talented musicians from across the globe.
Founded in 1997 by Paul Dornian and Andy Chan, the initiative was born out of a vision to make world-class music education accessible to gifted young performers regardless of their financial circumstances.
Each year, students aged 12 to 18 are selected through video auditions from more than 30 countries, with the programme covering tuition, travel, accommodation and meals.
Dornian said bringing the anniversary celebrations to Zimbabwe was a fitting tribute to Price and the global spirit that defines the programme.
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“For our 30th anniversary, we wanted to do something really special and when it was suggested we do concerts in Zimbabwe, home of Morningside Music Bridge student Emma Price, we thought what a great idea,” he said.
“It is our first performances in Africa and we are so excited to work with these four exceptional young artistes again, as well as with outstanding local professional musicians and music students from Zimbabwe.”
He added that one of the most transformative aspects of the programme was the way it connected talented young people from vastly different backgrounds.
“They push each other, inspire each other and start believing what is possible simply by seeing what their peers can do.”
The upcoming concerts promise not only world-class performances but also a powerful statement about music’s ability to transcend borders.
For Zimbabwe’s growing classical music community, the tour offers a rare opportunity to witness an international celebration of excellence — and to welcome home one of its own.
