The first-ever festival showcasing women’s talent as conductors took place at the Monaco Yacht Club at the weekend, organised by President and Founder Clemence Guerrand, with AMADE, the children’s charity, as the beneficiary.
Mawoma is an itinerant festival that will go out to meet young women who are destined to become orchestral conductors. Throughout this international journey, the aim of the event is to seek out talented female conductors in every continent and promote them, and then present them in Monaco, the organisers say.
Internationally famous artists joined the inaugural festival in the Principality November 12 and 13, with the support and honorary participation of the Philharmonic Orchestra of Monte-Carlo represented by Jérôme Delmas, Advisor and Artistic Director.
Through Mawoma’s honorary committee, friendship and support has come from distinguished personalities in business, journalism, philanthropy and art, including HRH Prince Emmanuel-Philibert de Savoie, HRH Princess Clotilde Courau de Savoie, Comte Michel de Liedekerke, Comtesse Xavier de Montrond, Fabrice Hergott, Director of the Modern Art Museum in Paris, Calypso De Sigaldi and Vice President of AIDA (International Association of Artistic Actions) in Monaco.
Patrick Poivre d’Arvor, a familiar voice for French TV viewers, performed masterpieces of poetry. Simone Young and Zahia Ziouani, two exceptional orchestra conductors, joined the concerts to demonstrate their support for Mawoma.
AMADE, an association for the protection of the fundamental rights of children, under the presidency of HRH Princess Caroline of Hanover, was the brainchild of the late Princess Grace.