This August, as part of the ESNCM's ongoing membership of the Medinea Network, one student was offered the opportunity to attend the Nuoro Jazz festival in Sardinia for workshops with jazz saxophone legend Joe Lovano. For this year, this opportunity went to Tamer Nassar, saxophone student at the ESNCM until 2014 and currently studying for a BA in Italy. The Medinea Network is a collection of representatives of music institutions and performance spaces from around the Mediterranean, providing opportunities for collaborations, invitations, tours, development of musicians from the Mediterranean, as well as working towards getting funding to run its own project to support up and coming artists from the region.

Tamer said this of his time at the festival: "I have returned home with all that I have learned whether on a musical level or, and above all, on a human level. With all of that, I move forward with certainty and conviction that one day I will become a musician!! I would love to thank, deep from the heart...all of the magnificent teaching staff of the Jazz Seminar at Nuoro. I would also love to thank the legend Joe Lovano for everything he has given us and his generosity. It was truly an honor being there with such great masters. I have learned a lot, and now I know where I must go and what road i must take! I would also like to thank the Ente Musicale di Nuoro, especially Angelo Palmas, for giving me this opportunity of being there at the Seminar. I have no words to describe all of the emotions that remained inside my heart and soul, thank you for giving me the possibility to know and meet really amazing and great musicians. From here, a true friendship was born, musical and human, that is very strong and will last forever."

Photo attached: Tamer With the great Italian Saxophonist, Emanuele Cisi, after his concert with the Legend Joe Lovano