Operabuja 2011 - the story and the photos

Cecilia Toledo De Schmillen,
Founder and Artistic Director, AMEMUSO

The Abuja Metropolitan Music Society (AMEMUSO) held the 5th edition of the annual music festival, Operabuja, on Sunday, 27th November 2011 at 7.30pm, at the Congress Hall of the Transcorp Hilton Hotel Abuja.

What made this year's edition different from the previous editions was that the AMEMUSO Choir interpreted the 9 songs vying to win the UNITY SONG CONTEST (with a cash prize of N500,000.00) organised by AMEMUSO.

According to the founder of AMEMUSO, Mrs. Cecilia Toledo De Schmillen, wife of the former ambassador of Germany to Nigeria, “this year’s event is aimed at celebrating Abuja as a centre of unity in Nigeria and internationally. As such, the theme of this year’s festival is ‘Unity Song Contest.’”

Mrs. De Schmillen said she has travelled “all the way from Peru to Nigeria to keep this great Nigerian dream alive” and that the attendance at the event of her friends and supporters will certainly encourage her “to continue to work for the realization of the dream.”

The show featured Omo Bello (Nigerian soprano); Walter Michael Vollhardt (conductor); Sodi Breidi (Nigerian pianist); Lucia Luque (Argentinian violinist); Lucas Brunnert (German violinist); Marcelo Montes (Argentinian cellist); Ohimah Igbuan (Nigerian pianist) and Abednego Okafor (Nigerian pianist.)

Also present were Onyeka Onwe Onwenu, who was one of the judges, Prof. Viola Onwuliri (Hon. Ministor of State, Foreign Affairs) who represented President Goodluck Jonathan, and Hon. Bala Mohammed (Minister of the FCT). 

These photos were taken at the event. 

Cecilia Toledo De Schmillen, Founder and Artistic Director of AMEMUSO

The AMEMUSO Choir

Onyeka Onwenu

Omo Bello

Hon. Minister of the FCT, Bala Mohammed

Cecilia Toledo greets the Ambassador of Germany to Nigeria

Onyeka Onwenu greets the Hon. Minister of State, Foreign Affairs, Prof Viola Onwuliri

N500,000,00 cheque for the winner of the song competition

The orchestra

Some of the audience

Posted by Araceli Aipoh

AMEMUSO's show must go on

The Show Must Go On, a musical event in honour of the founder of AMEMUSO, Madam Cecilia Toledo de Schmillen, and their partners, was held at the Congress Hall of the Transcorp Hilton Hotel on 5 June 2011. Madam Cecilia Schmillen (also known as Cecilia Toledo) wife of the Ambassador of Germany to Nigeria, is leaving Nigeria finally. The Show Must Go On concert was held as AMEMUSO’s way of thanking all friends for the support. She says the dream of AMEMUSO is to “bequeath a lasting legacy in the performing arts for Nigerians” – and that like Oliver Twist, they are going to be asking for more as they move on to the next phase of the Abuja Performing Arts Centre (APAC) development project.

Madam de Schmillen said she will be visiting Nigeria “at least three times a year” to continue what she has started here in Abuja. If and when her vision will materialise, it will definitely change the artistic landscape not only of the FCT but also the whole of Nigeria. Partners of AMEMUSO include the following: Transcorp Hilton, Unity Bank, German Embassy, French Embassy, Parmigiani, Cool FM, Total, U.L.O Consultants, Brunel, Next, Julius Berger Nigeria, The Guardian, Luxury Concepts, and Dantata & Sawoe.