Last August, I had the honor to participate at one of Latin America’s most prestigious gatherings of choral artists in the American continent. For 3 consecutive days, singers, composers, arrangers, university teachers, managers and conductors of choral music from all over the Americas, shared their knowledge, talent and passion during the II Forum and I American Choral Symposium in the beautiful city of San Juan in the west-central region of Argentina.
Thirteen American countries were represented in this historical gathering: Argentina, Paraguay, Brazil, Chile, Uruguay, Venezuela, Colombia, Bolivia, Costa Rica, Mexico, Puerto Rico, United States and Canada. The forum included lectures, open rehearsals, concerts and reading sessions. There were research sessions about the status of choral music and the history of choral music in several countries. Attendees also learned about influential conductors, composers and arrangers from different parts of the Americas, in addition to attending some amazing choral performances abetted by the beautiful acoustics of the Auditorium Juan Victoria.
The II Foro y I Simposio Coral Americano was sponsored by the Coro Arturo Beruti of San Juan, under the dynamic leadership of María Elina Mayorga, the Ministry of Tourism and Culture of the City of San Juan, the Catholic Univerity of Cuyo, University of Villa María, and by the ACDA represented during the forum by Dr. Tim Sharp, executive director, and Dr. T. J. Harper, director of the International Conductor Exchange Program.
In addition to an excellent coordination by the organizers, the affordability of the event and the good wine, what mostly distinguished this forum was an atmosphere of cooperation and fraternity among the participants that permeated the gathering from the beginning to the end.
For those who were not able to attend the Symposium, the Coro Arturo Beruti and their artistic director Maria Elina Mayorga are offering a new opportunity to enjoy and be part of this impressive choral scene next year during their International Choir Competition and Festival, ‘San Juan Canta’. If you are interested in learning more about the festival, I invite you to visit their page and start planning your visit to Argentina: http://sanjuancanta.com.ar
You will not regret it!
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