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Press Release10 September 2022Siemens AGMunich
Premier performance of Namibia’s first opera
Dress rehearsal of the opera Chief Hijangua before the world premiere in Windhoek: The opera is sung for the first time in two languages - in one of the national languages Otjiherero and in German
Led by musical director and Namibian composer Eslon Hindundu, an international
team comprising
everyone from producers to stage and costume designers worked with the opera’s director Kim Mira Meyer and librettist Dr. Nikolaus Frei – both with German origins – to create the opera. The
Siemens Arts Program has been fostering and supporting this project since
December 2021.
“All across
the globe, talented young people need experienced partners who believe in them,”
said Stephan Frucht, Artistic Director of the Siemens Arts Program. “The innovative
musical approach and the artistic diversity of this project really won us over,
as well as this young team’s courage and drive to organize such a unique
project across multiple national borders. These efforts truly deserve our full
respect and support.”
Sabine Dall’Omo, Chief Executive Officer of Siemens Southern and Eastern
Africa, added, “The
Opera Namibia project gives previously unknown talents from Namibia and South
Africa an opportunity to prove their mettle on a major stage and advance their
careers as performing artists. Our aim at Siemens is to empower every human
being by ensuring them access to equal opportunities for personal development –
both within and outside the company.”
Director Kim
Mira Meyer had this to say about the project: “It’s such a great honor to work
so closely with people from different countries and backgrounds in an open and
creative environment. Every bit of research and preparation and every rehearsal
brought us a step closer to executing the performance we envisaged. Working
with the singers can be very intense sometimes, as opera requires musicians to
fully embody the character of the story – mentally, emotionally and psychologically. It’s about
much more than just singing, dancing or reciting a few lines.”
As composer Eslon
Hindundu explained, “The
motivation for me to start Opera Namibia has always been to open the eyes
and minds of the people of Namibia to classical music and create a gateway for
talented Namibian musicians who hope to pursue professional careers in this
field.”
In the opera Chief
Hijangua, a Namibian chief’s son, Hijangua, is unhappily in love and forced
to leave his homeland. Wandering in exile, he meets a group of German
missionaries who initially take him in. Later, however, the story takes a
tragic turn that ends with the death of Hijangua’s father and brother.
Namibia’s colonial history and its traditional folklore
inspired the team of artists. The opera aims to shed light on the country’s
dark history and to contribute to international understanding. After its 2022
world premier performances in Windhoek, the piece is also to be performed in
Munich, Germany, in 2023.
The Siemens Arts Program is active in the fields of music, the visual
arts and cultural education and sees itself as a creative platform for the
company’s arts and cultural projects. One of the program’s main aims is to
nurture the development of outstanding emerging talents worldwide. This is done
by initiating competitions for emerging talent and by forging links between
young artists and established international cultural institutions (Bavarian
State Opera, Carnegie Hall New York, Salzburg Festival and the ARD
International Music Competition).
Dress rehearsal of the opera Chief Hijangua before the world premiere in Windhoek: Sakiwe Mksoana in the role of Hijangua and Henrike Henoch as Matijua
Siemens AG (Berlin and Munich) is a technology company focused on industry, infrastructure, transport, and healthcare. From more resource-efficient factories, resilient supply chains, and smarter buildings and grids, to cleaner and more comfortable transportation as well as advanced healthcare, the company creates technology with purpose adding real value for customers. By combining the real and the digital worlds, Siemens empowers its customers to transform their industries and markets, helping them to transform the everyday for billions of people. Siemens also owns a majority stake in the publicly listed company Siemens Healthineers, a globally leading medical technology provider shaping the future of healthcare. In addition, Siemens holds a minority stake in Siemens Energy, a global leader in the transmission and generation of electrical power.
In fiscal 2021, which ended on September 30, 2021, the Siemens Group generated revenue of €62.3 billion and net income of €6.7 billion. As of September 30, 2021, the company had around 303,000 employees worldwide. Further information is available on the Internet at www.siemens.com.