Support for musical culture and training in El Alto

The Andean Development Corporation and the El Alto municipal government signed three cooperation agreements for cultural activities that form part of the concept of music education as an instrument for the development of human capital. The ceremony took place in the Municipal Theatre in the presence of Mayor José Luis Paredes and CAF Executive President Enrique García.

With the first agreement, the CAF joins for the second consecutive year the group of institutions that are sponsoring the second "Festival of the Sun" to be held in September in historic places of the La Paz Altiplano with the participation of local soloists and groups and international guests. The aim of the festival is to promote classical music and the cultural movement initiated in the Municipal School of Arts.

The second agreement sponsors two concerts to be offered by the El Alto Municipal Orchestra on August 21 and 22 with the presence of Bolivian composer Agustín Fernández and international soloists such as Piraí Vaca, Marianela Aparicio and Mauricio Céspedes.

The third agreement provides support for training the students of the Municipal School of Music of the Cultural Department of the El Alto municipality. The agreement continues the process of training over 400 students who have already received musical training from Venezuelan teachers in a series of workshops.

CAF Executive President Enrique García said that this backing aims to strengthen civic culture through music, as an art form that exalts the deepest values of the human spirit and has a direct effect on solidarity and family and community relations, creating a more solid social fabric.

He explained that the CAF began the Social Action Program for Music in 2000 as a contribution to training individuals and societies by strengthening the values that develop civic awareness and citizen participation.

The Social Action Program for Music has four components: the Youth Symphony Orchestra of the Andean Countries, the Traveling Andean Conservatory, the Traveling Andean Luteria Workshop, and the Andean Choral Voices. The members of these artistic groups are Bolivian young people and children.

The Youth Symphony Orchestra of the Andean Countries, founded in 2000, is formed by 160 children from Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru and Venezuela. The orchestra has toured the Andean nations and recorded a CD. The Andean Traveling Conservatory holds workshops in instrumental instruction and works with children and young people from low-income homes to develop leadership, stimulate competitive capacity and train local teachers as multiplying agents in each country.

Andean Choral Voices complements the CAF’s orchestral action. This initiative is a contribution to combating the marginality of children and young people in the Andean population. The choir recently gave a successful performance in Caracas and will shortly give concerts in Lima and Bolivia.

The El Alto Municipal Orchestra has worked intensely in the last three years and has recently had a successful season of concerts in their own city and other localities of the Altiplano, and in La Paz. The musical quality achieved is the result of the training received from the El Alto Academy of Music. Both projects are directed by maestro Freddy Céspedes.