Nigeria’s Classical Pianist, Omordia Set for Home-coming Performances

Nigeria’s Classical Pianist, Omordia Set for Home-coming Performances

Yinka Olatunbosun

Nigeria’s Classical pianist and 2009 Delius Prize Winner in international piano competitions, Rebecca Omordia makes a grand return to Nigeria this month. The music virtuoso is expected to perform in Lagos and Abuja.

A masterclass for students of the MUSON School of Music will hold on March 16 in Lagos while the next day, music buffs will be serenaded by the soulful sounds of Omordia at the Agip Recital Hall, MUSON Centre, Onikan, Lagos.

She will strike great notes in Abuja where she is expected to perform at a recital organised by the Romanian Embassy to celebrate Romanian’s presidency at the European Union.

“It is very special to me performing in my fatherland,” the Nigerian-Romanian pianist said.

“Last year, the Nigerian audience made me feel like I truly belong there. I am honoured to perform at MUSON, the very centre of classical music in West Africa and happy to give a Masterclass to the talented piano students of MUSON School of Music. I am very much looking forward to performing for them again” she added.

Between March 2018 when she first visited and now,she has done incredible works as an active promoter of the Nigerian and African classical music genre.

Her CD “EKELE” released last year on Heritage Records, featuring works by three Nigerian composers (Ayo Bankole, Christian Onyeji and Fred Onovwerosuoke) was a huge success in the UK and Europe. It was also featured by a newspaper in Italy and was described as an “appealing album” (BBC Music Magazine), “fascinating programme” (Gramophone Magazine) and “beautifully delivered recital” (The Sunday Times).

In February 2019, she launched as an Artistic Director, the first ever African Concert Series at the October Gallery in London, in partnership with the Institute of Music & Art AM15.

AMI5 appointed Rebeca Omordia to curate a music programme that reflects the depth and diversity of African Art Music, the richly diverse genre of music that originated in Ghana and Nigeria which forms a bridge between Western classical music and traditional African music.

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