‘Music is a moral law. It gives soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination, and charm and gaiety to life and to everything’ – Plato

Music can soothe our mind, even more so during a situation of pandemic. A study published in 2021 has demonstrated how listening and making music have helped people cope with loneliness and anxiety during the lockdowns.

Initially planned to take place in November 2021, the Concert Amadeus, which gathered the finalists of the Grand Concours Performing Mozart launched in July 2021, had to be postponed due to the COVID restrictions. Though the sanitary situation was still challenging, against all odds, the Concert Amadeus, celebrating the 230^th anniversary of the Austrian composer’s death, finally took place on 5 February 2022.

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart is certainly one of the greatest classical music composers of all times. Only 5 or 6 years old when he made his earliest compositions, he unfortunately died young, at the early age of 35, but left behind a tremendous number of works, totalling over 600.

The ten young and talented finalists (with the youngest being just 7 years old) selected by a jury of eminent local musicians to perform at the Concert have certainly managed to pay a vibrant tribute to the Austrian’s composer’s genius. Performing for more than an hour on the beautiful stage of the Caudan Arts Centre (mainly in solo though there was also a quartet and a trio), they used a diversity of instruments - violin, cello, piano, transverse flute and even guitar – as well as voice. From the guitar version of Rondo Alla Turca, Sonata No.11 K331, 3^rd movement to the interpretation of O Isis and Osiris from The Magic Flute by a baritone whose coach is a famous Mauritian soprano, the ten finalists have clearly demonstrated the extent of their talent to the delight of the public, present in a limited numbers to respect social distancing.

On Saturday 5 February, the ten finalists gathered early at the Caudan Arts Centre, accompanied by their proud parents who looked thrilled to see their children perform in such a prestigious location, in front of well-known musicians and high-level personalities. The commitment of the participants who took part in the rehearsals despite strict sanitary restrictions demonstrates the love they hold for classical music and its power over fear and anxiety. Happy winners in the three categories (below 12, 12-18 and above 18) received glass trophies featuring a portrait of the Austrian composer from the hands of the President of the Republic of Mauritius himself. All the other finalists received a glass trophy and a certificate as recognition of their hard work, dedication and talent; a great souvenir for them, in particular for the youngest ones!

The Concert Amadeus featuring the finalists of the Grand Concours Performing Mozart is an initiative of IMMEDIA and the Delegation of the European Union to the Republic of Mauritius, organised with the support of the Austrian Embassy in Pretoria and other partners, to promote cultural exchanges between Mauritius and Europe. The concert will be broadcasted on the national TV to reach a larger audience.