The largest state-run youth music school in Hamburg, Germany has begun offering Afghan music as part of its curriculum and has hired Elias Shahna as a teacher.

Students in this school range from six to twenty-five years old, and the youth who receive training in Afghan music are German, Afghan and Iranian.

Training began in the summer of this year.

“We have learned from the teacher Shahna and we are very happy--this is a good opportunity for Afghans here,” said Azad, an Afghan music student.

In the past, only Western music was taught in this school.

“I have been teaching for about six months. The school accepts children from six to twenty-five years of age,” said Shahna, the teacher.

The headmaster, Herr Arp Schulleiter, says the number of students in the Eastern music class is increasing every day.

“It is a great honor for us to work together with Mr. Elias Shahna at the Hamburg State School of Music to create Afghan music classes. Interest in this course has increased and we are seeing new students come to the school each week and (join) our (classes),” said Schulleiter.

This school is more than one hundred and ten years old, and otherwise features Western musical theory for Western musical instruments.