Our Man In Oman

But beyond one person’s journey, this raises a bigger question: What does it take for classical music to become part of a culture where it hasn’t traditionally played a role?

We have to come to terms with something here: classical music is, at its foundation, a multi-generational art form. Without roots in a society and continued cultivation on a national scale, it won’t grow and will ultimately struggle to exist.

And it isn’t just about bringing classical music to the uninitiated—even in places where classical music has always existed as part of the culture, it’s now facing real challenges.

The reality is that many established classical music organizations are finding themselves at a crossroads, where they must decide whether to cut back on performances and personnel, or cease operations altogether.

We are classical music farmers, here to tend to the garden. It’s up to us to reach out, keep things relevant, and educate our audience while integrating them into the experience.

And though there is a constant in the core repertoire of treasures from the canon, adding modern works is one of the primary reasons new audiences become engaged.

So as we think about the future, we have a rare opportunity—to imagine what a cultural organization could be if we were building it from the ground up. With all this history behind us, it’s worth asking: What’s working? What isn’t? And how do we move forward, considering the complexities of the issues facing us?

If we can’t somehow get classical music into the educational system, it will never become part of the culture. And for that, we need to get over the idea that studying music means becoming a musician—it actually means so much more than that.

Here, in this story, Western classical music has been transplanted into an existing culture where it previously had no presence. And while we’ve seen this happen before in smaller locales—such as a city or town founding an orchestra—this is on a different scale. Here, we’re talking about it happening in a country that had been an otherwise closed society, one that previously had very little to do with all things Western culture.

Wisdom Within a Walnut

One of the oldest fruit trees from Central Asia is the walnut. Its history can be traced back to around 5,000 BCE in Persia—about seven thousand years ago. Before that, in a land before time, it was just one more thing growing out there in nature’s lush and wild garden for a wanderer to find—a fun food discovery for the prehistoric forager in the Stone Age.

You might not realize it, but a universe exists inside that very hard shell. It’s the proverbial tough nut to crack, but once inside, we see two distinct identical sections bound separately but together—a symmetry offering us untold millennia to contemplate its fascinating anatomy.

All countries of the world have this kind of hard shell. It protects them from everything that is outside, but mostly preserves the culture within. It’s what keeps us living in particular ways—ways we choose to live, for the most part.

Using the walnut as a metaphor, we can say that society exists inside a shell, and within that shell lies a duality: one side bent on keeping what is inside pure and protected, and the other dreaming about what could be in the land beyond its boundaries. Like identical twins—so alike, yet each has a very different association with the world.

It’s an abstract idea, but it represents the pull that exists overall—the desire for both simultaneously: to belong to ourselves and to be part of everything else at the same time. Erich Fromm, in The Art of Loving, talks about the intense need to conform. However, on a macro level—globally speaking—every country also wants to be part of something beyond itself, accepted by the greater world.

“If I am like everybody else, if I have no feelings or thoughts which make me different, if I conform in custom, dress, ideas, to the pattern of the group, I am saved; saved from the frightening experience of aloneness.”

—Erich Fromm, The Art of Loving

There is something about the greater world that calls to us—whether it’s the propagation of blue jeans or some other inescapable thing to long for—cultures want access to each other. The idea of society as an island just doesn’t work anymore. Broad-minded societies—reaching for connection—and individual cultures, with all their unique qualities and characteristics, are realizing that there is more to gain from communing with others than can ever be lost.

We have this thing we call popular culture—what everyone wants to feel a part of, together. There is an irresistible draw that crosses borders. This is the world we live in. No matter how strong the individual cultural norms, pop culture is going to grip the imagination of the youth. It’s irrepressible and part of a biological imperative, which technology has made ever more accessible.

And while European or Western classical music may not appear as some popular icon of Western society, introducing it into a culture that has never known it can have an allure—especially if it comes with some perks, which will be revealed later in our story. Until then, we will start by getting a glimpse into how an infrastructure was created and implemented, establishing a kind of Western classical music oasis—a real-world classical music fairy tale…

Kathy Geisler   In having this discussion with you today, I want to say that, in general, I’m thinking about the entire region of the Middle East and how, at least in the GCC (Gulf Cooperation Council) countries, Western classical music has only just recently begun to emerge. As a region where this kind of music has not traditionally been part of the culture, it represents an opportunity for its value to be acknowledged—and possibly as part of an educational system.

We too often forget that science and math are integral to the arts, and that the understanding and pursuit of music is as central to the growth of an individual as any subject considered basic to navigating life and participating in the world around us. This is beside the fact that classical music represents a language that is convertible to the idioms and language patterns of any culture it becomes a part of—making it both a universal language and a universal translator for all cultures to unite under.

The main thrust of it for me is, philosophically, to bridge the gap between the concept that classical music is only learning about notes and maybe some basic knowledge of composers, and that, rather, it is in fact an educational tool connecting every subject and, through it, the understanding of almost anything. The study of music connects to everything in a person: intellectually, emotionally, and physically.

It’s therefore incorrect for parents to treat the learning of music as something to avoid. The fear that their children will grow up to be musicians misses the critical role that learning music plays across the educational spectrum.

If we don’t have people who are literate in music—those who ultimately become the sponsors, the audience, and the consumers of music—we in classical music have nothing: no connections or reference points to anyone in society. Therefore, it is imperative that we, as a society, change this outlook and embrace what classical music offers—how it inevitably connects to math, science, physics, and history, while fostering an understanding of the mind-body-heart connection experienced through music.

Classical music is an education game-changer. Learning becomes deeper and more enriched through the related concepts that classical music brings, tying all subjects together—whether history, science, math, or even the process of learning itself.

What is so remarkable about the opportunity to bring classical music forward is how it serves as the amazing asset that it is, enriching both the mind and the soul.

Luca Blasio   I totally agree!

KG  We have to change minds in that way. I think it’s so important for everyone to have the reaction you just had—to realize that we are all ambassadors for music. We all need to be out there, constantly working.

LB  Yes.

KG  So here, as we begin exploring the state of Western classical music in the Region, I’m also interested in assessing the infrastructure that exists anywhere and everywhere for music. It’s fascinating to see how music is integrated in different places.

This involves things such as looking at what’s going on with early childhood education. As an example, recently I saw a charming video of an orchestra from Finland—there were parents on the floor with their babies and toddlers running around, just enjoying the experience. This is exactly the kind of thing that needs to happen everywhere there’s an orchestra.

In looking at different classical ecosystems, I’m interested to know whether there are music schools, music programs in schools, private lessons, pre-college programs, youth orchestras, music stores, instrument dealers, or instrument makers—not just Yamaha. And speaking to people in eight or nine countries in the Middle East Region, I’m learning that, if not for Yamaha, we wouldn’t have anything—literally. Yamaha is the 7-Eleven of music stores in the Region.

LB  Yes. Absolutely.

KG  Kudos to Yamaha for being there. As much as we want more, at least we have them. Another whole subject for me is audience engagement—how to reach an audience for whom this music seemingly has no relevance, and so on.

LB  Yes. All of this is a process. Yes.

KG  So to begin with, where are you and what are you doing there?

LB  I’m in Muscat, in the Sultanate of Oman. I have been here since 2009. In 2008, I was looking for a job outside of Italy. This was after many years of working in Italy, performing concerts—and really all over the world from my home base. At that time I wanted to experience something different. I found out about a vacancy in the Royal Oman Orchestra. They were looking for a violin tutor and conductor. I was intrigued and very curious to learn about the job and the place. I knew absolutely nothing about Oman, so I started to investigate, and I found it very interesting. I applied for the position, had an interview in London, and was offered the job!

KG  Wow. It was kismet! And where in Italy are you from?

LB  I’m from Rome. I studied at the Conservatory Santa Cecilia, where I received a master’s degree in violin performance, chamber music, and conducting.

KG  What were your first impressions of Oman?

LB  When I arrived here, I found a very, very challenging situation.

First, a little introduction. The Royal Oman Symphony Orchestra was established in 1985 by the late Sultan Qaboos bin Said Al Said. He was a lover of classical music, and he himself played several instruments. He truly believed that classical music could develop Oman culturally, bringing it closer to the West.

KG  Right, because it’s a perfect vehicle for communication.

LB  Exactly, and so he established the Royal Oman Symphony Orchestra from zero and took young Omanis who had no idea about Western classical music—they had no background or prior exposure to it. Not only were they taught everything from the beginning, but they also had no basis for relating to it in their culture. The Sultan brought tutors to act as teachers, as well as orchestral experts to train them and put them together as an orchestra.

KG  Where did he bring them from?

LB  The students came from Muscat and the surrounding small villages. In the beginning, the teachers were almost all British. This was from around 1985 until the early 2000s. After that, teachers from other countries were brought in. When I arrived in 2009, there were five of us. I was from Italy, some colleagues were from Hungary, another was from Austria, and one was from Germany.

KG  Any Russians or Eastern Europeans?

LB  No. Only the Hungarians. When I arrived in 2009, the orchestra had already been developing for more than 20 years.

It was extremely interesting for me to see that they had managed to create a professional orchestra in a place where there was no background at all in classical music.

KG  So who was the conductor? Who was the music director?

LB  The system here is a bit different. You can’t really compare it with how it works in other places. As for conductors, we have had visiting conductors—some stayed longer, others for less time. We had artistic directors who were, for the most part, from the UK. For the past five or six years, all the artistic directors have been Omani.

KG  That is a big shift, to go from zero understanding to accomplished director.

LB  This was always part of the vision. The way the plans are made here, there is an agenda for every 10 or 15 years. The idea is to establish goals, and as far as the higher positions are concerned, it means a bigger salary as well. But mainly it is about having the authority come from within the native population.

There is still a need for Western musicians with the expertise to advance the level, but the visible roles of leadership are held by locals. This is quite common in all the GCC (Gulf Cooperation Council) countries.

In the UAE, it’s the same—Dubai, Abu Dhabi. It’s also the same in Qatar and Saudi Arabia.

KG  I understand. It’s all very fascinating. Can you tell me more about the existing educational system for music in Oman?

LB  There is the Royal Oman Symphony Orchestra, and there is also a new orchestra called the Muscat Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. These are two institutions. The members of the orchestras are all exclusively Omani. Only the conductors and soloists are foreigners, and of course the teachers are also from other countries. But the musicians are all Omani. This is because the vision of the late Sultan Qaboos was not only to create an orchestra—he could have very easily set up a super orchestra made up of the best players in the world and been done—but he wanted to develop his own people.

In the beginning, this orchestra was, like in the Baroque era, part of the culture. They performed concerts for him, private concerts for important guests, and of course, for the public.

KG  Modeled after maybe Frederick the Great? Did he play with them also?

LB  He was skilled enough to play the organ, for sure. I don’t know about other instruments, but I know he could play the keyboard, and I’ve been told he was a very good oud player. The oud is the traditional string instrument of this Region.

KG  What pitch do the orchestras play at there—440?

LB  Yes, in general. Here, they are very conservative, so they tune to A 440.

KG  You know, I am told that Qatar is at A 443.

LB  Here, it can be a little bit more—441, 442 maximum. It never reaches 443.

As far as the study of music goes, apart from the musicians who are working toward their place in the orchestra, there is not really that much. Maybe a few music schools, but they are not really set up for advancement in music; they are not like a conservatory. You can achieve the ABRSM (Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music), which is a kind of minimal certificate, of sorts.

The Conservatory and Academy are only for the musicians who are training for the orchestras.

KG  So it’s something like attending a technical school to become a professional musician? You wouldn’t attend unless it’s been determined that you have the aptitude, and a place is already planned for you professionally?

LB  Yes, that’s correct. You have to be nominated to one day be part of the orchestra. In a sense, you also have to be lucky.

KG  Is the education paid for by the state, or do you have to pay for it?

LB  It is completely government-supported. The instruments, books—everything required for learning—is all provided and supported by the government.

KG  What about the support staff? People in the administration and anyone associated with the school—have they studied music, or are they just professional administrators?

LB  For the most part, they were once part of the orchestra. Some left the orchestra for health reasons, or maybe they reached the time to retire. There are some who are just administrators and not musically trained, but for any position that requires training, they are from the orchestra.

KG  So if these orchestras are made up of only Omanis, are you yourself involved in performing, or only in preparation?

LB  I am with them. I am very often playing the concerts as a soloist, and also sometimes I conduct them. And because I am a specialist with strings, we now have a string orchestra, which is part of the symphony orchestra, and so I conduct concerts with the string orchestra. Sometimes I play concerts with them as violin soloist. Of course, most of the time I’m teaching them. I have taken students from the very beginning and made them professional orchestra players.

KG  Okay. Wow.

LB  Yes.

KG  This is so interesting. It’s just so different from what we in the West are accustomed to.

LB  It’s completely different. Yes, it is. If you are a professor in an academy, in a conservatory, or in a Hochschule in Europe, you get a student. You teach the student the best you can—you never know what will happen to the student. It might be that, at one point, they will say, “No, I don’t want to be a professional musician,” “I want to be an orchestral player,” “I want to be a soloist,” or “I want to be a chamber music player.” But here, you are sure that when you get one student who enters the academy, 90% of the time, you know that they will become a member of the orchestra.

KG  Wow. That’s crazy. So do they have a way of auditioning them to know that they’re suited for this instrument, or do they just say, “I want to be a bassoon player, teach me”?

LB  Here is how it works: all of the students start with the violin. This is how the system functions—everyone starts on violin. Then the ones who are very talented on violin stay on violin. The rest have to choose other instruments.

KG  So are there woodwinds and brass and everything?

LB  Of course. There is something quite logical about it because the goal is to create an orchestra. The most difficult instrument in the orchestra is the violin, so first of all, they want to ensure they get the best talents for it. Then, for example, if there is someone who is quite good on the violin but is tall with large hands, we might have him play the viola or the double bass.

KG  What about piano?

LB  They study piano as well because, of course, it’s part of their music education. But yes, you need one pianist for an orchestra. Also, there can be someone who wishes to continue studying piano. Until recently, there was no specific course for piano in the program. If someone was interested in pursuing piano, they would continue practicing piano and eventually hope to reach a professional level. Finally, now there is an instructor dedicated to piano performance. Before this, only the piano companies with representatives here were the ones who taught piano.

KG  Piano is so important, it’s not just basic. I mean you can’t play chamber music. Do they have a Steinway D in the main hall?

LB  We have several venues here in Muscat. The most important one is the Royal Opera House, which is one of the most beautiful opera houses in the world. It has incredible acoustics. The design is superb, and the productions are amazing. Of course, at the Royal Opera House they have the best pianos: Steinway, Fazioli, Bösendorfer, Bechstein—all wonderful concert pianos. So when we perform there, we have all we need.

Then there is another concert hall, the Oman Auditorium, which was the first concert space built in Muscat. It’s also a very beautiful hall, and it has a nice piano, which I believe is either a Steinway or a Yamaha.

KG  What are the capacities of these halls?

LB  The Royal Opera House has two halls. One is for opera and symphonic events, and it has around 1,300 seats. Then there is a smaller hall, which has a capacity of around 700 seats. The Oman Auditorium, again, has about 700 seats.

KG  So do they fill the halls? Do you have a full house at concerts?

LB  It depends on the program. Sometimes it’s full.

KG  Are the audiences native or expat?

LB  It’s mixed.

KG  What’s the majority?

LB  For the Western shows, like operas for example, the majority of the audience are expats—I would say 70% expats and 30% Omanis. These are the shows with visiting orchestras and organizations.

It’s the other way around when it comes to Arabic shows. And when there is a classic Arabic music concert, it might be even more; I would say maybe 90% locals.

KG  And what about straight symphony orchestra concerts?

LB  I would say the same as opera.

KG  That’s so strange, because if they make such a big deal that they have to be native players, it still isn’t engaging the audience.

LB  When either the Royal Oman Symphony Orchestra or the Muscat Royal Philharmonic Orchestra is performing, it’s different. I would say that native audience attendance is higher. It’s much more balanced—more like 50/50. They attract more Omanis to the audience, many of whom are parents and friends. Of course, this raises the percentage of the Omani audience.

KG  What are the average ages of the musicians in these orchestras?

LB  For the Royal Oman Symphony Orchestra, I would say the average age is around 35 years old. And for the Muscat Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, it’s more like 25 years old.

Until a few years ago, the retirement age was very young, so we had almost a complete turnover of musicians in the Royal Oman Symphony Orchestra every few years.

KG  What was the retirement age?

LB  At 50, they had already retired. But now it’s different—they work until the age of 60. That’s why the average age is still very low in both orchestras at the moment. This is still very new.

KG  There’s the Muscat Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and the Royal Oman Symphony Orchestra.

LB  Yes. The Royal Oman Symphony Orchestra is the one that was created by the late Sultan Qaboos.

KG  Was this all based on his vision that music should be taught, but only to those who would become professional players?

LB  Yes. This was his vision. First of all, he wanted to have an orchestra for himself. He wanted to show the world, and the people he considered important, that this was something possible and great.

KG  When did Sultan Qaboos pass away?

LB  In January of 2020.

KG  So very recently. And who came after?

LB  The current Sultan, Haitham bin Tariq Al Said, who is a cousin of Sultan Qaboos.

KG  Is the current Sultan, who has been in his position for over four years, on board with this whole thing? Are there any plans to change it?

LB  There are no plans to change anything. Basically, he respects a lot of what has been done until now. I believe he is actually looking at how everything is developing—the natural process that is continuing to unfold.

KG  How old is he?

LB  He is 69 and will turn 70 in October of this year, 2025.

KG  Is he a music lover also?

LB  Sultan Qaboos was really in love with music. His Majesty Sultan Haitham is continuing his legacy.

KG  How did Sultan Qaboos become so enamored with classical music?

LB  He was educated in the UK at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst. And while he was there, he was exposed to classical music. This is where it all began!

Historically, there is a strong link between the UK and Oman.

(Hundreds of members of royal families from nearly every country—among many others—have attended Sandhurst. For the curious, here is a link to see a list.)

KG  I wanted to talk a little about the Region, since you have been there for more than a decade. For example, I understand that Lebanon has one of the more developed music schools because it was started back in the 1950s.

LB  Yes, but I would say before we talk about the GCC (Gulf Cooperation Council) countries, that we expand even a little bit further. The country that has more of a classical music background in the Region is Egypt. It is the most developed Muslim country regarding Western classical music because it has a tradition that is over 100 years old.

KG  And why is that? I mean, is it another British connection?

LB  No. I would say in the case of Egypt, it’s much more related to Italy because the first performance of Aida by Giuseppe Verdi was done in Cairo, at the Cairo Opera House. We are talking about the late 1800s—in fact, 1871—more than 150 years ago. There was already a tradition of Western classical music at the time. They took a lot from our tradition and from our masters.

You can also say it’s because they adopted the Italian notation of do-re-mi-fa-so-la. For example, here in Oman they use only the note letters. And even though in Arabic the names of the notes are do-re-mi-fa-so-la-si, they have adopted the British system, which uses the note letters.

KG  Is it fixed Do? Not movable Do, right?

LB  Yes, fixed Do, using just the letter note names.

KG  As far as the school in Lebanon, I understand that it was modeled after the Paris Conservatoire method.

LB  In Lebanon, the orchestra is very developed. They have the Lebanese Philharmonic Orchestra. The orchestra is wonderful. They have good singers and instrumentalists. It’s the same as in Egypt.

Oman has had Western classical music for 35 years. I have found many talented musicians here. I see a lot of potential in my students. They are very attached to their country, of course. They don’t think about working abroad. They already have a job here, so there really is no need or desire for them to find a job abroad. Some of them are reaching the level where they could be part of a Western orchestra.

KG  What about composers? Is there someone teaching composition?

LB  There are composers, but they are self-taught. They compose mostly traditional music. Even when they compose in the classical style, they keep their traditional music very much a part of what they are writing. So, I would say that it isn’t developed at this point. It should definitely be developed, though.

KG  And conductors—are they teaching conducting?

LB  There isn’t a program for conductors yet, but there are conductors. There is a resident conductor of the Royal Oman Symphony Orchestra who is Omani. In the Muscat Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, they have visiting conductors. For the Royal Oman Symphony Orchestra as well, the resident conductor conducts concerts, but most often, visiting conductors also conduct the Philharmonic.

KG  Where are the conductors studying? Are they studying with you, or overseas?

LB  They start by studying here. The person who is conducting the Royal Oman Symphony Orchestra received a master’s degree in the UK. There is also a female conductor who studied in Manchester. She received her master’s in conducting at the end of 2024, and so there is now another resident Omani conductor with a degree from the UK. These are young conductors coming up in the program, as it were.

KG  How many violin students do you have?

LB  I have around 15 students at the moment. At different times I have had up to 20 students, so it varies.

KG  It’s really fascinating. So what happens? Does the orchestra just keep getting bigger as these students graduate, or how do they accommodate all these new players?

LB  At the moment, the situation is stable, but it could possibly be a problem in the future. There is a change of generations, with people going into retirement. So at the moment, it is very balanced. What will happen in the future? I don’t know.

KG  Do you see any hope for the educational system expanding to include everyone at some point?

LB  I am always a positive person. I want to believe that there will be further development of the music education system in Oman—not left only to private schools, but expanded to public schools as well. And that, at some point, there will be—let’s say—a traditional academy or conservatoire that anyone can access based on their merits, and afterward have a chance to join an orchestral institution or continue with their studies.

Many Omanis begin their education here in Oman, and then they go to study abroad. But these Omanis are not in the field of classical music, probably because there is no one thinking about this—unless you have the luck to be taken into one of these two orchestras. You just don’t see anyone saying, “Okay, I like music, so I want to become a professional classical musician.” This is not something we see here.

KG  It seems so practical. We don’t want any musicians who aren’t going to have a job—no one playing on the street or without a position somewhere.

LB  The interesting thing is that Omanis are very musically talented. If we talk about other kinds of music, like popular music or even pop or rock, they love it, and they do form groups—small bands that they organize themselves. They are also very talented, showing that they love music. This is why I believe that, in the future, there will be further development of music education.

KG  It makes sense. Is there a youth orchestra that all these musicians you are training play in together?

LB  Yes. Before joining one of the main orchestras, there is a junior orchestra. Yes.

KG  Just one?

LB  Yes.

KG  So, there is one orchestra, and that’s the feeder for both of the professional orchestras?

LB  Yes, because actually, the Royal Oman Symphony Orchestra is just an orchestra now and not a school anymore. The Muscat Royal Philharmonic Orchestra is both a conservatory and an orchestra. It’s a work-in-progress orchestra, developing a lot. They are playing nice programs where they are learning repertoire—slowly but surely.

KG  What are the sizes of the two orchestras—like 60, 80, 120?

LB  Both orchestras have 80 members. And interestingly, there is also a choir. The Muscat Royal Philharmonic Orchestra also has a choir, so we are now playing important choral repertoire from opera. This is part of the development of that orchestra, to eventually be able to play an entire opera. They have a long way to go, but they are on their way to being able to do this.

KG  Do they play Mahler and Brahms and the large symphonic works?

LB  Not the Muscat Royal Philharmonic. No, the Royal Oman Symphony Orchestra does. They play Mahler, Brahms—all of the most important repertoire. The Muscat Royal Philharmonic is still learning. They play Mozart, Beethoven, and the Dvořák New World Symphony. They play concertos. Recently, they played the Rachmaninoff Piano Concerto No. 2 and a Mozart Violin Concerto. Their repertoire is expanding.

KG  So, let’s say somebody is in the youth orchestra, and there is an opening in either one of the two orchestras—do they have to audition for the spot?

LB  Yes. They have to prove that they are ready to join the main orchestra. Yes, absolutely.

KG  So, if they are ready, one of the main two orchestras will take them?

LB  Yes. Exactly.

KG  But can you go from one to the other? From the Royal Muscat Philharmonic Orchestra to the Royal Oman Symphony Orchestra?

LB  It’s difficult to do because they have a complicated administration system, and I’m not very much into that part of it. But yes, it’s difficult to jump from one orchestra to another.

KG  What’s going on in Dubai at the opera house there? Are they going to make an orchestra?

LB  Oh, that’s interesting because everybody’s talking about why Dubai doesn’t have a resident orchestra. Everybody is asking this question. These decisions are made by the government, basically. If there is someone who sees what happened here in Oman—how we have this beautiful orchestra and opera house because the Sultan was a music lover, because of someone really deeply in love with classical music—it all happened because he wanted all of this. It was his vision for his people. If you don’t have someone like this, it’s very, very difficult to create something as rare and fantastic as what we have here in Oman, unfortunately.

(Since we had our interview, it has been announced that an orchestra is forming in the UAE! So much progress!!)

KG  Do you think they are just going to keep importing people for shows and import productions?

LB  Yes, this is what has happened since the first year of the Dubai Opera House. I also performed there. I was invited to perform with an orchestra that was set up for the occasion. Similarly, the Royal Opera House in Muscat doesn’t have a resident orchestra, so they import productions from abroad. But this is a good thing.

We have the opportunity to hear some of the best orchestras in the world as well as the best productions. We have been extremely lucky in this way. Instead of having to travel great distances to hear, for example, Turandot by Zeffirelli—where you would have to go to the Arena di Verona—we had it here in Muscat. Zeffirelli came with his entire crew. It was an amazing production with orchestra, staging—everything. There have been a few of his productions during my time here. In 2022, Oman hosted an incredible retrospective exhibit of Zeffirelli. He is much revered here.

We have had many remarkable productions come to the opera house from all over the world. It has been fantastic. Ultimately, I believe the Muscat Philharmonic Orchestra could be the resident orchestra of the opera house. It would be a big step forward, but once they have developed to that point, it would be the most natural thing to happen.

KG  Whereas in Dubai, what do you think is going to happen there?

LB  In Dubai, they just need to decide if they want to have a professional resident orchestra and create it from scratch. They could supplement what they already have there and import musicians from all over the world, like they did in Qatar. But nothing is happening just yet.

KG  What about KSA (the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia)? What do you think they are going to do there?

LB  It’s a very interesting situation. I played in AlUla and Al Khobar. They are two amazing archaeological places where you find old villages and incredible landscapes—truly incredible nature. It so happened that I was engaged to do some shows for the opening of an important theater they constructed out there. In AlUla, there is a festival every year, and they invite artists from all over the world. They have been developing a lot because they are creating a tourism sector. They want to attract foreigners and grow the business of tourism. Ultimately, they must do this.

KG  Qatar is also interesting in the way that they formed a complete orchestra and keep it running.

LB  I know the Qatar Symphony. I know some of the players there too.

KG  What is amazing is that they have this full orchestra and only a 400-seat hall. It seems incredible that, for all these years, that is what they have.

LB  The Qatar Symphony was created because, I think, the wife of the Sheikh of Qatar loved classical music, and I believe they were friends with Lorin Maazel. They came up with this idea to create the Qatar Symphony. So, like in Oman, it was created from the highest position in the country.

KG  This story about Oman that you have shared is truly remarkable—so unique and unusual.

LB  I have been in Oman now for more than 15 years. I love this country. My children grew up here and are very attached to Oman. Now, three generations of Omanis have been playing classical music. It is really something quite unique.

KG  Living and working outside of the center of the culture of the West, do you have any observations about what is going on in the field in general?

LB  I want to say that I don’t necessarily agree with what is happening nowadays in the field of classical music. It’s so much about business, and all the productions are made in a very short time. What happens is that there is no time for the musicians to make the music personal, which causes the performances to be very neutral.

KG  I don’t know about you, but my ears are constantly changing. It’s a lifelong process. It never stops.

LB  Yes, and this is the truth about music. Thankfully, we are always developing and growing in it. We should grow and become better, like wine over time.

KG  I’m very touched by who you are and what you are doing in the world. The amount of soul that you put into this is really very beautiful. I hope this piece will do justice to your work there and show how truly extraordinary what you have undertaken is.

LB  It’s a very delicate situation, and we want to bring just the right kind of attention to it. In a way, it’s like raising a family—making these orchestras and the training of each individual to be a devoted and contributing member of the whole.

KG  What are some of the challenges working with students who have very little cultural background to the music?

LB  It’s important to have people from the culture—people who know how to connect personally with them. Sometimes, it is difficult for us to understand the logic behind certain ways they might react to the music.

For us, we have a 500-year history with Western classical music, but for them, they need reference points that they can relate to. For example, I may use the metaphor of an athlete practicing to explain working on playing music. This is something understandable. Without much of a history working in Western classical music, even these things we take for granted need to be addressed and given attention.

KG  In general, what do you think are the challenges of bringing orchestras and concert halls to places without a cultural history of Western classical music?

LB  During this beginning period, the problem is that when there is no cultural background for something—in this case, Western classical music—but still a desire to initiate something new to the culture, something that is old and integrated into the West—how do you bring that thing to a people who don’t have any real reference point or history with it?

If someone has no knowledge, no experience of it, they don’t even know if they like it. They can’t create something that they neither know nor know if they like. So this means we are creating a new beginning—planting something that can grow, something that has not grown here before but has existed well in other places and has a history in these other places.

KG  It’s part of what makes it exciting, really—a new beginning. M