ESME “Hits the Road” in Munich with conductor Orhan Ahiskal!

On a chilly (but thankfully sunny) January afternoon, our multitalented ESME Orchestra conductor, Dr. Orhan Ahiksal, lead a small group tour with a nice balance of members from the ESME Orchestra, Singers, and the Resident Alien Big Band. The main topic was the musical legacy of the city of Munich, noting such luminaries as Carl Orff, Schumann, Mozart, Chopin, Richard Strauss and their specific connections to the Bavarian capital. An engaging and enlightening description of these stories was accompanied by significant pieces of their music to highlight the live narration, and in the process we also learned a great deal about world history, architecture, literature and even etymology as we wandered through the scenic backstreets of the city. We ended the day with a much needed warming up of hot chocolates and further interesting discussions at Eataly, near Marienplatz. We are very grateful that Dr. Ahiskal managed to find time in his busy schedule for this walking tour, a generous gift to us for a successful recent season and sold out winter concert. For more information on these cultural tours, please check out: https://hittheroad.world/.