“When I started to play my harp, I dreamed about taking my music outside my country. I didn’t know that the day would be so soon.”
Nelson

Ten harpists and twelve guitarists open the main concert

The Children’s and Young People’s Orchestra from the rural district of Isla Pucu, Paraguay, spectacularly triumphed at one of the biggest concerts held in Buenos Aires, Argentina recently.

In front of 4,000 people, the 10 harpists and 12 guitarists from Paraguay opened the main concert of the 5th International Encounter of Youth Orchestras at Luna Park. The three-day music event brings together more than 50 youth classic orchestras and bands from all over South America. “Only really good musicians play there,” said one of the young musicians excitedly a few days before the trip.

They are part of a project funded by Plan in collaboration with the Paraguayan musician Luis Szaran, who has gained wide national and international recognition as an orchestra director. A few years ago he developed and implemented the ‘Sounds of the Earth’ project to teach music in poor rural areas, giving the children the same quality of learning and the same instruments as that available to the students in the country’s capital city.

This project uses the methodology known as ‘conservatory of music on wheels’. It involves a group of well-known itinerant teachers who work with colleagues from the community to teach music to local kids. The participants have benefited from strong student organisation, which has helped build their self-confidence, and taught them about responsibility and the importance of cooperation.

In preparation for the main event at Luna Park, two days of individual concerts were played at the Law University Auditorium of Buenos Aires. More than 1,700 musicians, members of each delegation across South America, formed what they called a ‘mega orchestra’, with children playing a classic repertoire that included Mozart and Beethoven.

Having learnt music for less than two years, the children and young people of Isla Pucu’s orchestra opened the main night, not only playing emblematic Paraguayan folk songs but also leading the ‘mega orchestra’ of 1,700 musicians! Paraguay’s main newspaper reported their success as ‘Isla Pucu Orchestra conquered Luna Park’.

Alongside collecting unforgettable memories, the children and young people had become ambassadors not only for their community but also for the entire country.

Young Paraguayan musicians conquer South American event