Capitalizing on music’s ability to rivet people, the National Academy of Performing Arts (Napa) is set to host the International Music Festival from December 4 to December 7.
“The main aim of the festival is to provide the residents of Karachi and music aficionados with an opportunity to listen to quality music,” Arshad Mahmood, director for programmes and administration at Napa, said at a press conference announcing the festival.
The four-day event will feature musicians from Germany, the United States and Italy along with some of the most celebrated Pakistani artistes. International musicians, including classical string concert Leipzig String Quartet (Germany), pianist Kimball Gallagher (USA) and The Hathor Plectrum Quartet (Italy), will perform collaborative pieces with Napa students and give solo performances. The line-up of local music legends comprises Ustad Salamat Hussain, Ghulam Abbas, Akbar Ali and Ustad Hamid Ali Khan, who will be taking the stage on the second day of the festival.
“This festival is an opportunity to showcase some of the local music talents and would be a learning experience for Napa students, who will get the chance to perform alongside artistes of great stature,” said Mahmood.
Organisers are hopeful that the festival would disseminate a positive message about Pakistan across the world.