Last Sunday, the Musical Society of Nigeria (MUSON), opened the 30th edition of its annual festival, a two-week programme of opera, jazz, theatre, orchestral and choral music that runs until November 8, 2026, at the MUSON Centre, Onikan, Lagos Island.
According to the society, this year’s festival, themed “Music Sustained”, coincides with the 43rd anniversary of MUSON and the 20th anniversary of the MUSON Diploma School of Music.
Louis Mbanefo, chairman, MUSON Board of Trustees, described the 2026 MUSON Festival as the highlight of the Society’s yearly calendar. He took the journalists through the origins of MUSON, which was formed in 1983 by a group of friends, among them the late Akintola Williams, Ayo Rosiji, Francesca Emanuel and Rasheed Gbadamosi, with the aim of promoting the performance, understanding and enjoyment of serious music in Nigeria.
The society has held concerts regularly since 1984 and has grown two schools of music along the way. The Basic School teaches theory and instrumental performance to Nigerians of all ages, while the Diploma School runs a two-year course with an annual intake of 45 advanced students, every one of them on an MTN Foundation scholarship. The Diploma School is now a diploma-awarding institution and has produced more than 500 graduates, some of whom have gone on to further studies in Europe and America, while many others are raising the standard of teaching, singing and performance in churches, schools and at social events across Nigeria. The MUSON Choir, directed by Emeka Nwokedi, has won gold medals at international competitions and performed in Europe, America and China.
“The MUSON project is one that all Nigerians should be proud of,” Mbanefo said. “It has demonstrated what can be achieved by Nigerians when we cooperate and pool our resources, talents, skills and energies towards a common goal.”
He added that while governments in other parts of the world heavily subsidise the arts, MUSON has been funded entirely by the hire of its facilities and by donations from individuals and the private sector in Nigeria.
Sade Doherty, chairperson of the MUSON Festival Planning Committee, said that the festival logo of a Nigerian woman blowing a bugle horn was chosen because the instrument is used to announce celebrations. This year, she said, there is plenty to announce: “43 years of MUSON, 37 years of the Basic School, 30 years of the Festival and 20 years of the Diploma School.”
Explaining the theme, Doherty borrowed from accounting. “Music Sustained”, she said, is “a snapshot of our balance sheet and audit”, a record of what MUSON has done to promote music over the years. She described the Society as “one of the biggest voluntary charitable efforts of the arts in Nigeria” and paid tribute to the 24-member planning committee, made up of accountants, musicologists, authors, singers, pianists and a Gen Z member, who put the programme together.
While many activities have held including Chevron Festival Drama, which held yesterday, other remaining programmes include: Orchestra Concert on November 1, 2026, COLLABO: Music Meets Technology on November 3, Youth Variety Concert on November 5, Opera in Concert in November 7, and TotalEnergies Gala Concert, which closes the festival at the Shell Zenith Bank Hall at 6:00 pm with the MUSON Choir, under Nwokedi, backed by a band and brass.
On how the festival has lasted 30 years, Mbanefo credited the volunteers. The first planning committee was chaired by the late Francesca Emanuel and, in recent years, by Sade Doherty. He noted that nobody earns a kobo for serving on the Board or Committees, with only the management staff on salary.
Related News
Source: