Ensembles

Ensemble playing is at the very heart of ANIM.

Very simply, music brings people together. Through playing music together and listening to one another, the youth of Afghanistan can begin to heal their wounds and build strong bonds within Afghan society. Playing together in harmony teaches children to live in peace as a nation, no matter the ethnicity or background.

When children play in a musical ensemble they collaborate, listen, share, and contribute.  ANIM’s ensembles are a microcosm of the future we hope to build in Afghanistan: a peaceful, thriving, vibrant, and dynamic society which embraces diversity and provides opportunities for all.

NATIONAL SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA

The ANIM National Symphony Orchestra was formed in 2018 and performed its premiere concert in the 2019 Gala Concert. The NSO is conducted by ANIM’s promising senior student conductors and includes both orchestral instruments and Afghan traditional instruments. In 2019, the NSO performed filmed recordings of commissioned pieces for the celebration of Afghanistan’s 100th Independence Day.

AFGHAN WOMEN’S ORCHESTRA “ZOHRA” (AWO)

While girls are represented in every ensemble of ANIM, the Afghan Women’s Orchestra “Zohra” is the first of its kind in the country. Within this co-educational environment — a rarity in Afghanistan — the young women of Zohra are defying the odds to attain an education, play music together, and are the first women in their families, communities, and country to learn music in over thirty years. The ensemble consists of over thirty female students from grades 6 – 12. Initially a small chamber group, it soon grew into what is now a twenty-five piece orchestra, comprised of both Western classical and traditional Afghan instruments including a harmonious mix of strings, woodwinds, piano, percussion, rubab, dutar, tambour, sitar, tabla, and qashqarcha, an instrument played mainly in northeastern Afghanistan.

Led by young female conducting students who are the first female conductors in the country’s history, this ensemble is an important step in providing opportunities for female musicians to unite in solidarity, deepen their commitment to music, and develop their skills as collaborative musicians. Additionally, the AWO has strengthened female students’ motivation in practicing and has inspired the youngest girls at ANIM to work hard in order to join the ensemble when they are old enough. Our current upcoming female conductors are mentored via our Distance Learning Program partnership with Oxford’s Orchestra of St. Johns conductor, Cayenna Ponchione-Bailey.

AFGHAN YOUTH ORCHESTRA (AYO)

The Afghan Youth Orchestra is one of the prime young orchestras of ANIM whereby junior students from Grades 6-9 experience and learn the thrilling responsibility of playing in an orchestra for the first time. The orchestra consists of both boys and girls as they progress in their ensemble and orchestral skills together under the direction of a senior student conductor. These students are prepared to successfully audition for the Zohra or National Symphony Orchestra ensembles.

YOUNG AFGHAN TRADITIONAL ENSEMBLE

ANIM’s rubab teacher Ustad Mustafa Darwish directs this group of students playing traditional Afghan instruments including the Afghan rubab, dilruba, tanbur, harmonium, ghichak, tabla, and dhol. One of the most beloved ensembles of the country, this group is in high demand for their wonderful performances both locally and internationally. The Young Afghan Traditional Ensemble has represented the musical heritage of Afghanistan on the stages of the United States, Oman, South Korea, Denmark, Argentina, Dubai, and the United Kingdom.

JUNIOR AFGHAN TRADITIONAL ENSEMBLE

ANIM’s rubab teacher Ustad Mustafa Darwish directs this group of ANIM’s youngest Afghan instrument students. This ensemble prepares them to join the Young Afghan Traditional Ensemble when they are old enough. Despite their young age, this ensemble is a joy to listen to and has performed on numerous TV stations, at embassies around Kabul, and internationally at the Annual Children’s Festival in Turkmenistan. The Junior Afghan Traditional Ensemble is prominently featured on the album "The Rosegarden of Light," released internationally on Toccata Classics and Naxos in 2016. Via this album, the ensemble has been heard in radio and online broadcasts all across the world, and has received rave reviews via prominent sources such as BBC Radio (UK) and NPR (USA).

SITAR AND SAROD ENSEMBLE

ANIM’s sitar and sarod teacher Ustad Ahmadullah Nabizada directs this ensemble of students who play North Indian classical instruments such as sitar, sarod, and tabla. Performing both Afghan and Indian classical music, these students have performed around Kabul as well as internationally in the United States, India, Oman, and Argentina.

QAWWALI GROUP

ANIM’s Qawwali Group consists of two main singers, back-up singers, Afghan traditional and Indo-Afghan classical instruments, led by Ustad Ahmadullah Nabizada. They play beautiful religious-themed music. The Qawwali singers have performed most recently in a collaborative week-long choir conference with the Shanghai Cooperation Organization Countries' Youth Choir 2019 alongside participants from Kazakhstan, China, Nepal, Mongolia, Cambodia, Russia, Kyrgyzstan, Iran, India, Pakistan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Afghanistan, Armenia, and Belarus.

CHOIR

ANIM’s choir, led by Ustad Qudrat Wasefi, is a powerful ensemble of talented male and female students. They have performed numerous times in Kabul at many important political and social events including official ceremonies for the president of the country. In March 2015, the ANIM Choir won an award for Best Regional Choir at Choir Fest Middle East in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.