"I understood that all religions are the same. We played Christian, Jewish and Islamic songs. It was amazing for us," Iraqi Halbast Payaam Maarouf, 18, who plays the santoor, a type of metal-stringed zither, said.
New York (ANTARA News/Kyodo-0ANA) - Some 134 young musicians from 50 countries performed together as the World Peace Orchestra for the first time Tuesday in New York City.

The orchestra was organized by the World Peace Orchestra Foundation, a nonprofit organization founded this year to promote peace and stimulate dialogue among youth from around the world.

At the concert, the young musicians performed orchestral pieces on classical instruments as well as folk arrangements that incorporated traditional instruments from their regions.

Kenyan Arnold Thinwa Mugo, 17, who plays the djembe, a large drum played with bare hands, said the program was a life-changing experience.

"I made so many friends. I met people who really opened me up. I never knew I could play percussion like that," Mugo said in an interview with Kyodo News after the concert.

The musicians aged 11 to 22 traveled from their homes in Libya, Colombia, Bangladesh and dozens of other countries to spend a month rehearsing together in New York.

Along the way, they learned about their peers from different cultures.

"I got really curious about how they grew up and who they were. I felt how important it was to connect with people," said trombonist Miki Akane, 21, a student at the Kunitachi College of Music in Tokyo.

Iraqi Halbast Payaam Maarouf, 18, who plays the santoor, a type of metal-stringed zither, said the concert changed the way he sees world religions.

"I understood that all religions are the same. We played Christian, Jewish and Islamic songs. It was amazing for us," he said.

Recruiting young musicians from around the world to play in an orchestra was not an easy task, said World Peace Orchestra Music Director Faruk Kanca.

In the beginning, the organizers held auditions via the Internet, but in areas with poor infrastructure video uploads took hours.

Kanca said many musicians this year were from the United States, but that organizers hope to increase the number of countries represented when they recruit a new group for next year.

"With music, we can play different instruments from different cultures with different techniques, but we can play the same melody, and we can be the voice of the world," said Kanca.(*)

Editor: Heru Purwanto
Copyright © ANTARA 2013