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Simon is one of the many leading artists supporting this initiative, which has been created by the soprano Barbara Hannigan.
Information about the project from the Momentum website:
“MOMENTUM: Our Future, Now is an initiative driven by leading international artists supporting younger professional colleagues in the first substantial phase of their career. Created by Barbara Hannigan, the Momentum model is an urgent artistic and human response to the situation caused by the 2020 pandemic, yet devised with long-term staying power.
Momentum: Our Future Now, sees leading soloists and conductors supporting younger colleagues by bringing them onto main stage professional engagements, with immediate effect. Young professional soloists are invited to share the stage on leading soloists’ engagements, while young professional conductors assist leading conductors and are given invaluable opportunities to lead an orchestra during the rehearsal period. In each case the young artist receives a fee.
The collective initiative has very quickly attracted the support of a rapidly increasing list of the world’s leading solo artists, conductors, orchestras, organisations and festivals, who have agreed to incorporate Momentum into the 2020-21 season and beyond.”
Simon’s statement in support of Momentum:
“Momentum believes fundamentally that the performing arts are essential to the well being and economy of this, or any other nation. We hope that this initiative might at least do something to support and promote the next generation of artists, who are in desperate need of work and wages in these deeply frustrating times.”
Sir Simon Keenlyside, baritone