Symphony musicians visit Mexico with concerts and masterclasses

Published May 13th, 2022

With the purpose of strengthening and reinforcing relations between the UdeC and the University of Guanajuato, Mexico, a delegation of musicians from the Symphony Orchestra together with Claudia Muñoz, president of the board of Corcudec, have been in the city of San Miguel de Allende and Guanajuato for almost a week.

A protocol mini-tour in which two concerts were contemplated -one of them already took place a few days ago- in addition to masterclasses given by the musicians of the UdeC Orchestra Carmen María Burmeister (violinist), Ramiro Vera (violinist), Raúl Muñoz (cellist) and Jerson Mella (violinist), who have met with students of the University of Guanajuato, under the framework of the celebration of the 70th anniversary of the Department of Music and Art of that Aztec house of studies.

“After two years of the pandemic we have resumed collaborative activities, now we are in Guanajuato with a string quartet from the Orchestra, who have also given courses to young music students,” Muñoz explained.

In this sense, about what they are looking for with these classes, Vera pointed out that “we work with them to find their sound through technique. The important thing about the activation of this agreement is to be able to share art and culture, we were already able to have this approach in México Sinfónico, and now to be able to give back to them with our knowledge, is a pedagogical way of learning from them”.

To which Mella added that “it is a nice experience to meet students from other places, to teach in such a different place, the good thing about music is that the language of music is universal and young people understand it very well”.

For his part, Burmeister referred to the presentation they gave in San Miguel de Allende, emphasizing that “we began the concert, whose stage was a wonderful hall of a cultural center in that city, with Mozart to continue with Alfonso Leng, in addition to a work by Piazzolla, and end with a selection of works from the Chilean repertoire. Therefore, bringing our music and delivering it with affection and emotion connects us with the public that visited us in the presentation”.

It should be noted that this trip is part of the agreement signed by the University of Concepción – headed by Rector Carlos Saavedra Rubilar – and the University of Guanajuato in 2019, with the idea of enhancing the cultural-artistic development of students from both entities, with exchanges and regular visits. As was the case of the tour of four heritage cities that year and the subsequent visit of the Mariachi of that Aztec University last April.