THE chapel at The University of the West Indies, Mona, is expected to be humming with classical music today for the staging of ‘With Freedom’, a celebration of contemporary classical music.

The event will feature works by local and international composers including Jovielle Hayden, Gabriel Walters, Rebecca Clarke and Robert Schumann. The proceeds from this event will go toward Hayden’s tuition expenses, as he is a fourth-your medical student at The University of the West Indies, Mona.

Hayden, who plays the viola, shared with the Jamaica Observer his dire financial situation and why support for this venture is critical to his future.

During the pandemic I lost some of the sponsorship opportunities due to the economic downturn, and added to this — due the the sliding dollar — my tuition, which is quoted in US dollars, has effectively increased significantly. Right now, on a scale of one to 10, I am at an eight. I am at serious risk of being deregistered if I don’t come up with the funds. In response to this I created a GoFundMe account as well as created the concert to help pay off my tuition.”

The concert is being staged for a limited live audience inside the chapel where COVID-19 protocols established by the authorities will be observed. The event will also be recorded for rebroadcast as a pay-per-view event on April 2 to maximise returns to Hayden, who is a former member of the National Youth Orchestra of Jamaica and a member of the Philharmonic Orchestra of Jamaica.

“We are looking at the works of composers from the last 100 years for the first half of the presentation, then in the second half we will perform work of local composers, including myself,” Hayden noted.

— Richard Johnson