National Music Academy inaugurated in PNCA Islamabad

ISLAMABAD: Caretaker Federal Minister for National Heritage and Culture Jamal Shah on Monday inaugurated the National Music Academy (NMA) here at Pakistan National Council of the Arts (PNCA).

Federal Secretary National Heritage and Culture Division Humaira Ahmed, Director General PNCA Muhammad Ayoub Jamali, Pakistan first Opera Singer Saira Peter, Music Director Stephen Smith, Zafar Francis, Chairman Sir Syed Memorial Society Syed Ahmed Masood, PNCA Board Member Hasan Raza, musicians and vocalist were also present on the occasion.

While addressing the ceremony, the minister highlighting the importance of National Music Academy said that it is very important to establish musical institution for youth and this academy specially created for them. He said that PNCA is the hub for the promotion of art and culture in federal capital.

He said that establishment of the academy in PNCA is an initiative of the National Heritage and Culture Division that will usher a new era of music industry in the country.
He said that a National Dance Academy would also be established at PNCA soon.

In her brief remarks, Opera Singer Saira Peter said that music is both art and science and it is her passion. It is her science background, knowledge of different communities, as well as the multicultural society she grew up in, that gave her a deeper understanding of Sufism and helped her find her voice, her niche – the Sufi Opera.

She also performed the songs live at Academy inauguration ceremony and got big applause from the participants.

The faculty for the newly established Academy would be comprised of Opera Singer Saira Peter as Honorary Director, Abida Perveen, Humaira Channa, Stephen Smith, Nadir Abbas, Shehbaz Ali, M.Aslam Violin, Javed Niazi, Babar Niazi, Shafqat Salamat Al, Salamat Ali and Raees Ahmed.

While the Friends of NMA would be comprised of Federal Minister National Heritage and Culture Jamal Shah, Zafar Francis, Chairman Sir Syed Memorial Society Syed Ahmed Masood, PNCA Board Member Hasan Raza and Amna Shah.