XXXIV Musical Meetings of La Serena included interesting training workshops and evening concerts

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For two and a half weeks, the regional capital became the scene of great artistic proposals of choral, chamber and orchestral music, bringing together nearly 8 thousand attendees.

With a closure marked by the 6.7 earthquake that shook the Coquimbo Region a few days ago, the La Serena Regional Symphony Orchestra Foundation concluded more than 15 continuous days of music and training workshops, framed in the successful XXXIV Musical Encounters of La Serena . The new version featured the participation of great figures from Chile and Argentina, and addressed various artistic proposals, both in formats and activities, linked to musical interpretation.

The massive regional event brought together nearly 8 attendees and was divided into three important programmatic lines. The first began with mediation activities aimed at the music students of the territory, who formed the Los Encuentros Youth Symphony Orchestra (OSJE), a group created in an unprecedented way for this festival, and which had the collaboration of the leaders of the Universidad de La Serena Symphony Orchestra, and the impeccable direction of the guest teacher and professor of Conducting at the Basel Academy of Music (Switzerland), Rodolfo Fischer (Chile), with whom they inaugurated the week of evening concerts in the regional capital.

musical meetings24 2Another of the activities developed was the III International Choral Conducting Course, led by another talented teacher: Fernando Tomé (Argentina), graduate in Choral and Orchestral Conducting from the Faculty of Fine Arts of the National University of La Plata. The improvement instance had the collaboration of the Vocal Ensemble of the University of La Serena, led by the national tenor Gonzalo Tomckowiack, where about 25 participants participated, including active and listeners, who learned how to communicate with their choirs or orchestras through the gesture.

Miguel Platero, a music teacher of Arican origin, decided to participate in this course again: “I was in last year's edition and in this one, and the clear difference is that this time we were able to delve into all the technical aspects of conducting itself ( …) Thank Gonzalo Tomckowiack because he made his choir available, with learned pieces, therefore, the technical work that was carried out is very important. Those of us who have been directing for a long time, it is vital to perfect ourselves and improve the technical and interpretive aspects,” he stated.

Maestro Fernando Tomé said he was happy and satisfied with teaching this new choral conducting workshop, which was reflected in the second night of concerts: “it was a great thing and with a concert where 16 people conducted accompanied by a magnificent choir of professional level. The seriousness with which we worked during the week, the intensity of the participants, the number of hours of rehearsal and the evolution they had day by day was incredible.” And he added that the important thing is that “the resources that one could humbly incorporate are used in the tasks they do daily with the groups they direct, because they are the trainers of the singers. “There is potential for unusual choral activity in this area.”

musical meetings24 3Evening concerts

The programming of the XXXIV Musical Encounters of La Serena continued with the monumental concert by the La Serena University Symphony Orchestra, under the direction of Rodolfo Fisher, who conducted Beethoven's 'Seventh Symphony', the overture to Mendelssohn's 'The Hebrides' , and 'Lullaby for Fuegia Basket' by the young Chilean Tomás Brantmayer. The Festival also featured chamber music concerts by the groups 'D' Entraña Cantera', 'Ensamble Vocal Cantus Florido' and 'Academia Coro Allegro', 'Cuarteto de Guitarras Universidad de La Serena' and 'Ensamble Villanueva de La Serena', where the repertoire, composition and talent of the artists moved those present on each of their days.

Gloria Bullard, who attended to see the ensemble formed by ULS academics, said that “I was intrigued to hear 'D' Entraña Cantera' because I imagined it was a cantata, but I didn't know anything else. It was a different, interesting and very special proposal; Furthermore, I loved the mix of poetry with music because they make a wonderful duet, added to the beautiful voice of the performer, it gives a charming result and I really liked that.”

While Jaime Arce, who attended the concert starring the 'Guitar Quartet', indicated that he found the program “very interesting, with a great performance by the musicians, who, by the way, are very talented. I found the music beautiful and very consistent with this type of formats. In particular, I really liked what Violeta Parra did,” thanking the rest for the creation of these spaces that contribute to the culture and recreation of the inhabitants. It seems quite good to me that in La Serena these types of free cultural activities are being carried out, I think that people need these types of events, they need to recreate themselves and get out of this bubble in which we are inserted and this, music, is a beautiful way to do it.”

musical meetings24 4Jaime Plaza, meanwhile, who enjoyed the proposal of the 'Ensamble Villanueva de La Serena', commented that he attended this concert because “he wanted to learn about popular music that is outside of traditional standards, in addition to knowing a little more about the string instruments and being able to enjoy these free access spaces with something that I really like, which is music.”

The concerts ended with the presentation of the La Serena University Symphony Orchestra, which was interrupted by the strong 6.7 earthquake that shook the Coquimbo Region. The concert featured the talent of the ULS Student Choir and two great guest soloists: the baritone Nicolás Suazo Tello and the soprano Tabita Martínez Riveros. The latter declared herself very happy with the invitation to participate in this version of the Musical Meetings, indicating that “instances of providing music for free are always valuable, where the genre of opera is allowed to expand much further, and in this festival they have addressed many styles and that shows that learned music opens up to people who generally do not listen to it, and that is very good.”

It should be noted that the XXXIV Musical Encounters of La Serena are a regional event that was born in 1984 by the orchestra director and musical manager, Fernando Rosas, with the idea of ​​taking advantage of the musical wealth developed in the surrounding commune. from the legacy of maestro Jorge Peña Hen. Currently, the festival is organized by the ULS Music Department and the La Serena Regional Symphony Orchestra Foundation, thanks to the support and sponsorship of the Ministry of Cultures, Arts and Heritage; the University of La Serena, through the Directorate of Liaison with the Environment and Extension (DIVEULS); and the Illustrious Municipality of La Serena, through its Department of Culture, Tourism and Events, the Gabriel González Videla Corporation and the Municipal Theater of La Serena.

These days, the Universidad de La Serena Symphony Orchestra is preparing its concert 'The Symphonic 80s', within the framework of the ARC 2019 Festival of the Ministry of Cultures, Arts and Heritage.

Source: La Serena University Symphony Orchestra