Acclaimed violinist Priya Mitchell performed at the Chelsea Flower Show in September to officially launch the David Harber exhibit in aid of Trees of Music.
Hailed as one of the foremost violinists of her generation, Priya performed the violin on Monday 20th September, in support of the campaign which seeks to replenish and preserve the Pernambuco tree, from which violin bows are traditionally made.
The unique resonance created by this wood gives the violin its lustrous timbre, but over exploitation of the Pernambuco tree means that this is under threat. The wood, extracted from the Atlantic Forest, has been exploited to the brink of extinction with less than 1,500 still standing in the wild and 93% of the forest gone.
Trees of Music, the brainchild of master bow maker Marco Rapso, and is supported by RAIN (Regenerative Agroforestry Impact Network) to highlight the fact that if the Pernambuco tree is under threat, so is the music that it creates.
The campaign asks the classical music community to join the mission to distribute 50,000 pernambuco saplings to rural farmers in the Brazilian state of Espírito Santo. Working with Indigenous nations, rural farmers and urban women’s groups, RAIN is planting Pernambuco and regenerating bio-communities.
Award-winning sculptor David Harber is sponsoring the initiative to promote sustainability within the classical music industry. Thanks to his contributions, 750 saplings will be planted every month over the course of a year.
Danny Diskin, Founder and Director of RAIN, commented: “We are thrilled to have such a preeminent artist as Priya Mitchell performing in aid of Trees of Music at what is sure to be an outstanding exhibit created by David Harber.
“The support of such wonderful artists in our mission to save the pernambuco tree is critical to raising awareness of the threat posed to the pernambuco tree, and consequently, to classical music itself.”
David Harber Ltd exhibit at Chelsea Flower Show September 2021
