The unprecedented initiative in the northern macrozone was sponsored by the United States Embassy and brought together young people from all over the country, who were trained by the North American director David Händel. 

This important training event, aimed at conductors of youth and children's orchestras and bands, professional orchestras, instrumental ensembles, students of orchestral conducting and students who graduated from musical careers, had the objective of instructing students in the technique of orchestral conducting, providing methodologies and tools to be used in their respective instrumental groups.  

"This is an action that is part of the permanent work of extension and training of new talents that the Universidad de La Serena Symphony Orchestra has, we feel committed to this task and with the important bond that is generated with young people from all over the country, thanks also to our guest director David Händel," said Rodrigo Díaz, artistic technical coordinator of the professional cast of the Coquimbo Region.  

The experience was positive both for the organizers and for those who participated as active members and listeners, reaching a total of 36 registered. One of them is Sebastián Camaño, from Concepción and currently a student of Piano Performance at the University of Chile. "I am emerging as a musician and my great goal is orchestral conducting. I found out about this workshop through the OSULS website and I consider it to be a great opportunity, so I am very happy. We have had a great week, the maestro "Händel is a very wise man, who has great pedagogy, a very sincere way of reaching students, with charisma, tranquility and with great clarity of concepts and technique," he noted.

"For us conductors it is a very valuable opportunity, I consider that what is being done here is very important, perhaps it will be a unique experience in Chile, that a professional orchestra opens its doors for an orchestral conducting workshop. I am very grateful to the OSULS, and I hope it continues," said Hugo Arriagada.

Arriagada added that thanks to his experience and career, Händel places emphasis on individualities and the most important details and that, without a doubt, will favor his work, both with a chamber group that he is forming at UTEM, and with the Lyric Company. of Santiago, groups in which he currently works.

Meanwhile, director David Händel highlighted the number of participating students coming from different parts of the country and also some who study in Buenos Aires, indicating that among them were present “teachers and young directors who intend to develop a career. It has been very productive, very positive for everyone. I have loved dissecting each one's way of directing and I have seen great progress from the participants with different characteristics, personalities and habits, which one has the task of improving."

A singular case is represented by the 4th grade B student of the Jorge Peña Hen Experimental School of Music, Lucas Tapia, who expressed that "it has been a very important opportunity, since these are very valuable learning instances. Share with everyone in this workshop It allows me to work with another vision," says the young man who hopes to continue his professional musical training in the future.

Tapia began being in a class with Professor Alejandro Meléndez, who invited him to direct a class; Subsequently, he attended two workshops and currently has systematic classes with the academic Hugo Domínguez. 

For her part, Alejandra Rivas, from Purén, is a director of youth orchestras who actively works in her town with children and young people between 4 and 20 years old. "I am always looking for opportunities for improvement, because when you teach, you must be constantly updating yourself. I find it very interesting to be able to access this free workshop with a great teacher, that is a great advantage and the other thing is being able to conduct a professional orchestra , so I am leaving very happy and very grateful as well, hoping to have another opportunity like this and optimize my time even more," said the professional.

For the organizers, this experience marks a precedent and represents, to a large extent, the spirit of the Universidad de La Serena Symphony Orchestra.

This is what Händel reaffirmed. "I have no doubt that the OSULS will continue offering this course, there are not many on the continent, therefore, it is very interesting for both the young people and the Orchestra to meet these new conducting talents," he concluded.