Opera, jazz, AI take centre stage as MUSON unveils 2026 festival offering

By Godwin Okondo

THE Musical Society of Nigeria (MUSON) will celebrate its 30th annual festival with two weeks of opera, jazz, drama, orchestral performances and discussions on artificial intelligence, as the organisation marks 43 years of promoting music education and performance in Nigeria. The festival, themed “Music Sustained”, will run from October 25 to November 8 at the MUSON Centre, Onikan, Lagos. It will also commemorate the 37th anniversary of the MUSON Basic School of Music and the 20th anniversary of the MUSON Diploma School of Music, sponsored by MTN Foundation.

While speaking briefing the media on Friday, MUSON Chairman, Mr. Louis Mbanefo (SAN), said the festival reflected the organisation’s longstanding commitment to promoting the performance, understanding and enjoyment of serious music. Mbanefo said MUSON, founded in 1983 by a group of friends, including the late Akintola Williams, Ayo Rosiji, Francesca Emanuel and Rasheed Gbadamosi, had pursued its objectives through regular concerts and the establishment of music schools.

“Our main objective has been the promotion of the performance, understanding and enjoyment of serious music,” he said, explaining that the society had worked towards achieving these goals through performances by Nigerian and international artistes and structured music education.

According to him, the MUSON Basic School provides instruction in musical theory and instrumental performance to Nigerians of different ages, while the Diploma School runs a two-year programme for advanced students. The Diploma School admits 45 students annually, all of whom receive scholarships from MTN Foundation. It has produced more than 500 graduates, many of whom have continued their musical education in Europe and America, while others have contributed to music education and performance in Nigeria.

“From humble beginnings, the school has now become a Diploma Awarding Institution. It has produced over 500 Diploma graduates, many of whom have continued their musical education in Europe and America and attained international recognition,” Mbanefo said.

He added that graduates who remained in Nigeria had helped raise standards of music teaching, singing and performance in churches, schools and at social events.

“Indeed, many churches and musical societies throughout Nigeria are now borrowing the templates established by MUSON. There can be no doubt that training in classical music is an important discipline for our youth and a source of spiritual fulfilment, not to mention employment, throughout their lives,” he said.

The chairman described MUSON as a demonstration of what Nigerians could achieve through collective effort, noting that the society had continued to operate without the level of government subsidy enjoyed by many arts institutions elsewhere.

“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 said.

Mbanefo explained that MUSON had relied largely on revenue generated from the rental of its facilities and donations from individuals and private-sector organisations to sustain its activities.

He said the society’s facilities had also provided a venue for concerts, art exhibitions, drama productions, jazz performances, traditional music and dance, film premieres, literary events and other cultural activities.

Chairman of the Festival Planning Committee, Shade Doherty, said this year’s theme captured the continuity of MUSON’s work in music education and performance over more than four decades.

She explained that the festival logo, depicting a Nigerian woman blowing a bugle, was designed to reflect the celebratory nature of the anniversary edition.

Doherty said the festival marked several milestones in the society’s history, including 43 years of MUSON, 37 years of the Basic School of Music, 30 editions of the festival and 20 years of the Diploma School.

“Our theme this year, ‘Music Sustained’, two simple words, which are a snapshot of our balance sheet and audit. All we’ve done is to promote music all these years,” she said.

She added that the planning committee comprised 24 members with different professional skills who had worked together over several months to prepare the festival.

The programme will open on Sunday, October 25, with a musical brunch featuring Adeyinka Bobby Benson, Yinka Davies, MUSON artistes Chioma Charity and Victor Eze, as well as the School of Music band. The event will be followed by a performance of the comic opera “The Mikado”.

The MUSON Day concert on October 27 will celebrate the society’s founding anniversary and the 20th anniversary of the Diploma School, with performances by students, alumni, the school band and orchestra.

Speaking on the concert, Director of the School of Music, Emeka Nwokedi, said the programme had been designed to reflect the school’s development and recognise the achievements of its students and graduates.

“MUSON Day is a day to celebrate the birth of MUSON, and we have a very curated concert. It’s also a remembrance of the MUSON School, the Festival, and the 20th Anniversary of the MUSON Diploma School,” he said.

Nwokedi explained that the concert would feature current students and alumni, including graduates who had established careers with music institutions abroad.

“The performances will be done by the students of the MUSON Diploma School. The alumni will also be there, some who are abroad, making waves in different schools, will be brought in to talk to us. The school band and orchestra will be part of this,” he said.

Opera will be another major attraction at the festival, with “The Mikado” returning to the stage and a separate operatic concert scheduled for November 7.

Chief Administrative Officer, Bunmi Falomo (left); member, BOT and Chair, Festival Planning Committee), Sade Doherty; Vice Chairman, MUSON BOT, Chief Femi Adeniyi-Williams; Chairman, MUSON BOT, Mr. Louis Mbanefo (SAN); member, BOT, Mr. Kitoye Ibare-Akinsan and member, BOT, Mr. Gbola Shobande at the press briefing last Friday… in Lagos

Sam Eniola Ogunmodede, coordinator of opera performances, said the production of “The Mikado” would feature students and alumni who had participated in an earlier diploma opera staged some months ago.

He described it as a short opera in two acts, adding that the repeat performance would give participants another opportunity to showcase their abilities.

John Clume, head of opera, said the production would also demonstrate how MUSON continued to provide practical training for young performers.

“The Mikado is a comic opera in two acts. The second performance will be done by the students of the MUSON Diploma School, and in light of the theme, MUSON has provided space for training musicians. We will also have some students featuring in The Mikado as well,” he said.

Clume added that the performance would feature an orchestra and give audiences an opportunity to observe how students handled dramatic dialogue alongside the musical demands of opera.

He said MUSON had also conducted auditions to introduce new performers to its opera programme, with selected artistes scheduled to feature in the November 7 operatic concert.

“The second performance, The Operatic Concert, is just excerpts from different operas, choruses, duets, quintets, and so on,” Ogunmodede said.

The festival’s jazz party, scheduled for October 30, will showcase the genre’s influence on contemporary Nigerian music, particularly Afrobeats, while bringing together musicians working with different styles.

Imoleayo Balogun, coordinator of the Jazz Party, said MUSON had remained a consistent platform for jazz performances in Nigeria over the past three decades.

“Afrobeats music was impacted by jazz, and now MUSON is going to provide jazz music, and I want everybody to come around and enjoy the best of jazz music,” he said.

He added that the society’s commitment to the genre had helped sustain opportunities for jazz musicians to perform and reach audiences. “The truth is, for 30 years of this festival, MUSON has been the only consistent environment promoting jazz music. This year will not be different,” Balogun said.

Phebean, popularly known as the Saxo Queen and a member of the 2011 MUSON alumni set, said the jazz performance would incorporate African musical influences.

Reflecting on her career since leaving the institution, she said her experiences had helped her grow as a musician and appreciate the opportunities available in the industry. “We are going to do jazz, and it’s going to be a lot of jazz with Africa texture. Get ready to be blown away,” she said.

Drama enthusiasts will also have two productions to look forward to on October 31, with performances sponsored by Chevron.

Leke Gbolade, director of drama performances, said the programme would feature “Jigida” and “Wanted In-laws”, two plays exploring social relationships and family life.

He said “Jigida”, which means waist beads, would examine gender equality, children’s rights and the need to provide equal opportunities for men and women.

“The play talks about equality in society, child rights, equality between men and women. What we tried to do is draw a balance, that everybody should be given equal opportunities,” Gbolade said.

The second production, “Wanted In-laws”, examines the complications that can arise when extended family members intervene in disagreements between married couples. Gbolade said the play explored how relatives could become involved in marital disputes based on their understanding of events, sometimes without knowing the full circumstances.

“The in-laws came in because they felt she did something wrong to the husband and they tried to dabble into the matter, but in the end, they discovered that despite the issues, the man and woman are still together as one,” he said.

He added that the production would encourage couples to understand one another and resolve their differences without allowing external interference to undermine their relationships.

“What we are trying to tell people is that when you are with your partner, try to understand that it’s just the two of you and no other person comes between you, and at the end of the day, everyone can be happy,” he said.

Another major attraction will be “Collabo”, the festival’s music and technology symposium scheduled for November 3, which will examine the application of artificial intelligence in the music industry.

Korede Omopeloye, Deputy Director of Music, said the event would provide an opportunity to discuss technological developments and demonstrate how musicians could use AI tools to improve their work. He said the programme would open with a musical prelude by Made Kuti, followed by a keynote address by Obi Asika on building a domestic music economy for Nigeria.

A practical masterclass led by Ayo Bankole Jnr and Omopeloye would follow, focusing on applications of AI beyond generating music. “This time around, not for generating music production but for other things we can use the AI tools for, to make our daily routine as musicians, to make our lives better,” Omopeloye said.

The symposium forms part of the festival’s effort to connect established musical traditions with emerging technologies and changing practices in the creative industry.

The Youth Variety Concert on November 5 will showcase young performers selected through the annual MUSON School Competition, which attracts students from secondary schools.

Nwokedi said the concert would feature students who distinguished themselves in different musical instruments, providing a platform for emerging performers to demonstrate their abilities.

“The concert is for young people who have been identified as good performers, talented, through the MUSON School Competition. We hold the competition every year, and it’s attended by lots of high-profile secondary schools,” he said.

He added that those selected for the concert were among the best performers in their respective instrumental categories.

“So, you will be observing great talents selected from various schools. You are there to witness great talents that we are nurturing to be great musicians in the future,” he said.

The festival will also feature a symphony orchestra concert on November 1, conducted by visiting German maestro Walter-Michael Vollhardt.

MUSON’s Symphony Orchestra is one of the society’s principal performance groups, alongside its choir and opera department. The MUSON Choir, directed by Nwokedi, has won gold medals at international competitions and performed in Europe, America and China.

The festival will conclude on November 8 with a gala concert by the choir, sponsored by TotalEnergies EP.

Mbanefo paid tribute to Doherty and the Festival Planning Committee for their work in preparing the anniversary programme, expressing confidence that the festival would offer audiences an engaging celebration of music and the performing arts.

He said the anniversary was an opportunity to recognise the contributions of the society’s founders and successive members of its board of trustees, whose personal sacrifices had helped sustain its activities over the years.

With its combination of classical music, contemporary jazz, theatre, opera, youth performances and discussions on artificial intelligence, the 2026 MUSON Festival is expected to highlight the society’s efforts to preserve musical traditions while nurturing new generations of performers and adapting to changes in the creative industry.