Juan Pablo Duarte Symphonic Orchestra Performs in Plaza España in Colonial City

Juan Pablo Duarte Symphonic Orchestra Performs in Plaza España in Colonial City
Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic 3/5/2013

The Juan Pablo Duarte Youth Symphonic Orchestra, founded in October 1993 anddirected by conductor Dante Cucurullo, put on a magical concert in the historical PlazaEspaña. The concert was promoted by theAlcázar de Colón Museumand attended by the Minister of Culture, José Antonio Rodríguez.

“We take pleasure in making history, in creating a space for visiting, cultural education, publicity for the museum and to inspire thought, as a mechanism that can generate positive changes in this society and throughout the world… culture is the people’s road toward nobility.”

In the first row next to Rodríguez were the director of the museum, RaysaAstacio;Mirtha Olivares, head of the Viceministry of Creativity and Public Participation, andRadhamésPolanco, director of the School of Dramatic Arts.

Before the concert, RaysaAstacio gave words of welcome and showed her gratitude for the presenceof the Culture Minister and the whole audience that came and listened to the 60 young musicians who, with a varied and polished repertoire of quality music, enchanted the spectators.

“We take pleasure in making history, in creating a space for visiting, cultural education, publicity for the museum and to inspire thought, as a mechanism that can generate positive changes in this society and throughout the world… culture is the people’s road toward nobility.”

The audience attending the performance enjoyed and applauded the following pieces: Dominican Folklore Suit, Zarambo, Al son de los Atabales, Vamo a VolaiPaloma, Merengue Santo Domingo, Compadre Pedro Juan de Luis Alberti, Caña Brava, Suit Macorís, Vals Santo Domingo (by Julio Alberto Hernández) and the Granada piece.

The symphonic spectacle fully completed the objective it was promoted for: to disseminate Dominican art as a way of expanding museum attendance and at the same time creating a space for cultural and educational visits.

The event enabled the public to get closer to their cultural and colonial heritage that forms part of Dominican history, through musical expression.

The Youth Symphonic Orchestra is made up of advanced students from the National Music Conservatory and has given presentations and concerts in the National Palace, the National Theatre and in New York, and on occasion during the independence week of this city.

The orchestra has their “Manuel Simó” concert season every April in which well-known directors and soloists from advanced levels in the Conservatory are invited.

It is worth noting that, at the beginning of 2004, the National Symphonic Orchestra (OSN in Spanish) and the National Music Conservatory signed an agreement which states that the most outstanding students from the Juan Pablo Duarte Symphonic Orchestra would become part of the OSN as students to participate in an internship that will also be a further stimulus for the students.