World’s most celebrated ensemble, King’s Singers, inaugurate the new season of Friends of ASD Chamber Music Series sponsored by IBQ

The 2011-2012 season of the highly anticipated Friends of American School of Doha Chamber Music Series will be inaugurated this week, under the annual sponsorship of IBQ bank, with the world’s most celebrated musical ensemble, the King’s Singers. The opening concert will set the stage for the fourth consecutive series which have come to be considered as an international-class music and cultural  calendar event in Doha.

The Friends of ASD Chamber Music Series is an exceptional musical event which has been gaining increasing exposure, scope and acclaim year on year as a result of the partnership with IBQ. The series brings together some of the most celebrated global classical artists and casts the limelight on a palette of existing talent in Qatar, in order to present its audience with the finest musical pieces from across the globe.

The 2011-2012 season will include six concerts running from November this year and culminating in a Grand Finale in May 2012.

George Nasra, Managing Director of IBQ said: “We are very happy to be partnering with the ASD once again to see this high-quality musical series coming to life on an annual basis. At IBQ, we are strongly committed to engaging with the community at all levels and in particular through educational and cultural initiatives, especially those that have links with young people. We are proud to be long-term patrons of the fine arts in Doha and this initiatives is in line with our objectives.”

The King’s Singers have a packed schedule of concerts, recordings, media and education work that spans the globe. Championing the work of young and established composers, they remain consummate entertainers; a class-act with a delightfully British wit. From Gesualdo and György Ligeti to Michael Bublé, The King’s Singers are instantly recognizable for their spot-on intonation, their impeccable vocal blend, the flawless articulation of the text and incisive timing.

With a discography of well over 150 recordings The King’s Singers have garnered both awards and significant critical acclaim. Their studio album Simple Gifts on Signum was awarded a Grammy® in 2009.

In addition to their sold-out concerts worldwide, The King’s Singers share their artistry through numerous workshops and master classes. They have clocked up phenomenal sales of sheet music with over two million pieces of print in circulation with current publisher Hal Leonard. The King’s Singers’ arrangements are sung by schools, college choirs and amateur and professional ensembles the world over.

Deborah Welch, Director of American School of Doha said: “It gives us great pleasure to welcome this new and wonderful season of the Friends of ASD Chamber Music Series which has grown to be a mainstay of the cultural calendar in Doha. Our prominent event is eagerly awaited by everyone in Doha and we are very proud to have the King’s Singers among us to inaugurate what is promising to be a fantastic platform of classical music concerts.  This would have not been possible without the collective effort invested in this initiative and particularly the long-term support of our partner IBQ which has helped the series to expand tremendously.”

Dmitri Torchinsky, Artistic Director of the Friends of ASD Chamber Music Series said: “We have several new and very exciting concerts to share in this new series which will prove inspiring to all our audiences, young and old. We are so excited to be able to kick-off this concert once again with the exceptionally talented King’s Singers. They will be adding considerable luster to the musical scene in Doha and we feel very honored to be selected as one of their globally-famed performance stages and given, especially, their busy schedules for 2011 and 2012. We are confident that the inaugural concert followed will be another truly memorable musical event.”

All IBQ customers are entitled to 50 per cent discounts on tickets for the duration of the series.