The new radio space will present the legacy of the outstanding professor and musician, who was director of the ULS Folkloric Ensemble and founder of the Tuna San Bartolomé.

“Sixto Cortés Alcayaga, a figure of folklore in our University and the Coquimbo Region” is the title of the new cycle of programs that Radio Universitaria FM, the station of the University of La Serena, will broadcast starting this Sunday, October 7 thanks to the financing of the Fund for the Promotion of Social Communication Media of the Government of Chile and the Regional Council.

The cycle considers 4 programs in which the audience will be made aware of the legacy of the professor and musician, Sixto Cortés Alcayaga, who was director of the Folkloric Ensemble of the University of La Serena for more than forty years and founder of the first tuna university of the region, Tuna San Bartolomé, on December 13, 1990.

The host of this new radio space, Raúl “Talo” Pinto, will interview people linked to the musician, which will be complemented with the broadcast of musical recordings, the results of which will be sent via CD to various establishments in La Serena and Coquimbo.

“Sixto Cortés Alcayaga, a figure of folklore” will be broadcast on Sundays, at noon, through 94.5 FM and its online signal: http://www.userena.cl/index.php/comunicaciones/radio-universita.

Project financed by the Social Media Promotion Fund of the Government of Chile and the Regional Council.

The presentation for said release will be in charge of the Surkos Quartet, which will exhibit a series of 'Works for string quartet'.

After two years of musicological research into the legacy of the creator of the first Children's Symphony Orchestra in Chile and Latin America - which included the recovery of 41 complete works, the preparation of its catalog of scores, transcription and musical edition of each of his invaluable pieces -, the Mismar Cultural Association will inaugurate the 'Jorge Peña Hen Musical Festival: A tribute to the maestro' during the month of October.

The long-awaited regional event will take place free of charge for four days, from Tuesday, October 16 to Friday, October 19, at different times and venues in La Serena. The objective is to enhance and promote the invaluable legacy of the maestro, his acclaimed facet as a leader, born creator and irrefutable talent as a composer and musical arranger with city residents, students, soloists and learned national and international groups, through an attractive artistic proposal that They include talks, lectures, educational concerts and symphonies, and a wide variety of artists.

The Festival will commemorate the 45 years since the death of the great composer, and will be inaugurated at the Liceo Gregorio Cordovez in La Serena, the teacher's former school, where there is an important legacy of his memory that is maintained not only with the vestiges and memories of his time at high school, but is visualized in the musical work that said institution is doing. The activity will begin on Tuesday, October 16, at 11:00 a.m., with an educational concert by the Surkos Quartet; to end with the tribute in memory of the illustrious son and the offering of a wreath by the high school.

On this day, the Surkos Quartet will perform, a famous national group that has developed a vast career in musicological research, with the performance of new string quartets. Precisely, today they are dedicated to the development and production of works for Jorge Peña Hen's string quartet, through the recording of an album. In the words of the group's violinist, Marcelo Pérez, recording the album 'Obras para Cuarteto de Cuerdas' -produced this year with financing from the 2018 Music Funds of the Ministry of Arts, Cultures and Heritage-, was a true privilege: “I had the opportunity to get to know Peña Hen's family a little more. During the investigation we found the scores that were lost in the archives and that was something very significant; taking into account that in addition to all the legacy that he left in pedagogical and orchestral terms, the work of these works reveals the high level of composer that he was,” he explained.

The musician also referred to the realization and significance of this Festival, indicating that “during this investigation I realized that many people do not know of the legacy that the maestro left, and others have not even heard his name; Therefore, it is very important to make it known through these instances outside of Santiago.” As a consequence of Peña Hen's musical imprint, the violinist added that there is so much richness in the works written by the maestro "that rescuing them to be studied seems incredible to me, and something that catches my attention a lot and that is more noticeable in the works that he composed when he was little, are the fugues and the quartet that we find as a posthumous opus. Also his mastery of counterpoint and composition techniques written for the time he lived in Chile makes his innate talent very clear; Furthermore, in one way or another, he always put into his works his own identity as a Latin American and Chilean, through some sounds that marked his preferences,” Marcelo Pérez explained.

This album will be officially launched within the framework of the Festival, at 18:00 p.m., at the Gabriela Mistral Regional Library in La Serena, which will be accompanied by a discussion where the most important points of this research and the works for quartet will be explained. of strings composed by Jorge Peña Hen. Later, at 19:00 p.m., a concert will be held where these works will be performed.

The Gabriela Mistral Regional Library will concentrate a series of activities related to the festival, and as a starting point for this event, Ximena Sobarzo, director of the cultural establishment, said that “Jorge Peña Hen is part of the musical and artistic heritage of our region. 90 years after his birth, we are committed to disseminating part of his cultural legacy as founder of the first children's orchestra in Latin America and to expanding the cultural rights of boys, girls and young people, especially those who lived in conditions of greater vulnerability (... ). We believe that reading is much more than books, it is also music, sound and images, just as writing is also composition.”

The 'Jorge Peña Hen Musical Festival: A tribute to the maestro' is a project designed and carried out by the Mismar Cultural Association, financed through the 2018 Music Funds, of the Ministry of Cultures, Arts and Heritage. Its realization included extensive musicological research, rescue, transcription, editing and publication of a large part of the maestro's work as a composer, which was covered by the FNDR 2016 Competitive Culture Funds of the Regional Government of Coquimbo.

It should be noted that the event will run until Friday, October 19, with a varied artistic program, in which international names stand out such as the Russian concert artist, Svetlana Kotova; regional groups such as the ULS String Quartet, the La Serena Wind Quintet, the Vocal Ensemble of the University of La Serena and the University of La Serena Symphony Orchestra. The latter, a collaborative group of the Mismar Cultural Association, will close the event with a masterful presentation, which will be led by the young national conductor, Miguel Ángel Castro Reveco.

This conference is part of a cycle that has developed its four activities in collaboration with the Cuatro Esquinas Community and Cultural Center.

“Tools for psychological well-being” was the title of the fourth conference of the “Psychology and Contemporary Society” cycle, given by Mg. Pedro Bolgeri, academic at the Department of Psychology at the University of La Serena.

On the occasion, the academic provided theoretical and explanatory information regarding terms that seek to clarify the concept of psychological well-being and its relationship with mental health, as an important interaction to improve the quality of life in everyday life. In addition, Bolgeri held a workshop that allowed people to experience some techniques and practices that promote the development of personal well-being.

“It seemed good to me, I didn't expect such an audience, people participated, they were enthusiastic about the proposal (…). I think they took good advantage of the workshop,” said the academic. Regarding carrying out this cycle in collaboration with the municipal campus Centro Comunitario y Cultural Cuatro Esquinas and its public, Bolgeri emphasized that “from the point of view of psychology, it is a nice way to reach people, because it also arouses interest and comes all kinds of people, some who have more knowledge and others less, but it works for everyone and that is the idea.”

Regarding the topic addressed, the academic highlighted that “psychological well-being is a very important variable of human health in general (…), so I think that generating these instances where we can show people the possibilities they have, me It seems super good. That was the idea, to deliver tools.”

This cycle titled “Psychology and Contemporary Society” is a conference program organized jointly by the Department of Psychology and the Directorate of Liaison with the Environment and Extension (DIVEULS), which has been held monthly every year since its beginnings in 2012. Since that date, he has addressed relevant and current topics in psychology from an academic perspective, in clear and understandable language for the entire community.

Source: DIVEULS press

The musical proposal will be starred by the String and Wind Ensemble of the professional ensemble.

With two new music dates in the Province of Elqui, the University of La Serena Symphony Orchestra invites its community to be part of a new musical proposal. This is the IV Chamber Concert of the 2018 Season that, on this occasion, will join the activities that the Ministry of Cultures, Arts and Heritage will be developing throughout the country, in celebration of National Music Day .

The Seremi of Cultures, Arts and Heritage (s), María Verónica Rojas, indicated that in its third year, “since the promulgation as the Day of Chilean Music and Musicians, October 4 is consolidated as a great milestone national, a commemoration where we can recognize ourselves around the current paths that our music takes. But at the local level it also has a very special significance, since we continue working together with the Music Table, a citizen body that participates and defines the different stages related to this powerful activity, such as, for example, the artistic programming of the celebration. ”.

On this occasion, the musical evening includes the participation of the String and Wind Ensemble of the professional group, made up of Paulina Elgueta (violin), Ricardo Muñoz and Lorenzo Cabello (violas), Monserrat Trujillo (violoncello), Milén Godoy (flute), Alevi Peña (bassoon) and Gerson Pierotti (French horn), who promise to captivate the cities of Coquimbo and La Serena with masterful works for an 'intimate and at home' format: 'Quartet for bassoon, violin, viola and cello', Op. 40 No. 2 in D Minor, composed by the German conductor and cellist, Franz Danzi, and the 'Quartet for flute, violin, viola and cello' and the 'Quintet for horn, violin, 2 violas and cello', K.407 in E Flat Major, by the Austrian genius Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.

The first date is scheduled for next Thursday, October 4, where the Territorial Extension Concert will take place at the Palace Cultural Center in Coquimbo, at 20:00 p.m., with no membership fee. Yéssica Delaigue, administrator of the cultural venue belonging to the Illustrious Municipality of Coquimbo, indicated that "having the Universidad de La Serena Symphony Orchestra again in our Cultural Center will always be a privilege. The quality of the sound, the virtuosity of its musicians and the trajectory of the group, are characteristics that guarantee a quality show.”

Delaigue also referred to the joint work that both entities have maintained for years in favor of culture and artistic expressions for the enjoyment of the community of the region: “this alliance that we have with our friends from the Universidad de La Serena Symphony Orchestra continues strengthening year after year, always thinking about the benefit of bringing cultural events of the highest quality to the citizens of Coquimbo, and thus strengthening our programmatic grid. As the Palace Cultural Center we have always marked important milestones in the development and promotion of the arts, through a permanent cultural billboard, which works with local artists and creators, and this occasion is no exception. This is why we call on everyone to become part and come enjoy this show by the professional orchestra of our region.”

Subsequently, the String and Wind Ensemble will replicate this program, the last in chamber format of the 2018 season, at the Municipal Theater of La Serena, on Friday, October 5 at 20:00 p.m. For those who wish to attend this sublime repertoire inspired by the great European masters, more than 150 free invitations have been issued: the general public and older adults can only go to the offices of the Seremía de las Culturas, Artes y Heritage (Colón # 848), La Serena Public Library (Colón #495, Balmaceda corner), La Serena Municipal Theater (Benavente #580) and/or in the Gabriela Mistral Regional Library (Juan José Latorre #782). While school students and students from the University of La Serena should go to the Extension Office of the ULS Music Department (Larraín Alcalde s/n, between Los Jardines and Seminario). Those who are unable to withdraw their invitation will be able to purchase their tickets at the municipal ticket office on the same day of the event, with prices ranging between $3.000 for the general public and $2.000 for seniors, while school and ULS students present their credentials.

It should be noted that this concert, as well as the entire artistic and musical programming of the 2018 season, is developed thanks to the Ministry of Cultures, Arts and Heritage, which since 2016 has received part of its financing from Glosa of the National Budget, in addition to the support provided by the University of La Serena, the Illustrious Municipality of La Serena, through its Department of Culture and the Municipal Theater, and the Illustrious Municipality of Coquimbo and its Palace Cultural Center.

Source: Press Symphony Orchestra University of La Serena

The seventh presentation of 2018 was conducted by the American maestro David Händel, and featured the colossal performance of the French horn soloist, Alejandro Meléndez.

With four outstanding works in tribute to 'Chile & Latin America', the University of La Serena Symphony Orchestra gave its VII Season Concert in the colonial city on the occasion of a new celebration of National Holidays. The event brought together not only great artists, but also had the presence of students belonging to the 'We Learn Access' Program of the Elqui Valley, and the cultural representatives of the United States Embassy in Chile.

On this occasion, the new sound of 'The Symphony of Cultures' was conducted by the prominent North American conductor David Händel, and the brilliant interpretation of the French horn concert pianist, Alejandro Meléndez, who conquered the audience with a bold repertoire without borders: 'Paisaje Urbano', by the composer and winner of the Altazor and National Music Prize, Guillermo Rifo; the 'Concert for horn and strings' by Chilean Carlos Zamora; the work 'Fuga y Misterio', by the Argentine bandoneonist and composer Astor Piazzolla, and the piece called 'Sinfonietta Nº 1', by the Brazilian musician Heitor Villa-Lobos.  

Jaime Díaz, who attended a concert by the symphonic ensemble for the first time, indicated that he had a very exciting experience: “I found out about this concert through the news and my wife and I wanted to come and listen to this repertoire, which I thought was excellent, I I really liked the soloist's performance and the horn concerto, as well as Piazolla's work. I was pleasantly surprised and it was a very nice experience to come to this orchestra presentation (…). Furthermore, I leave with the pleasure that you can still enjoy this level of spectacle without having to leave your own region.”

For his part, the soloist invited to this seventh season program confessed that “I felt very comfortable participating with the orchestra, since I had all the support of my colleagues, the director himself, and the public; and that is perceived and gave me a lot of peace of mind to play such a significant repertoire of Chilean culture", also expressing that the work written by the composer Carlos Zamora included its own challenge since "this piece has many technical elements, such as high notes, jumps, it covers the entire register of the instrument and many timbres, which makes it difficult to interpret since it rescues national folkloric elements and at that point I also wanted to give it my mark, that is why in the cadence I rescued a traditional Chilean song like 'El Costillar' with which I generated a counterpoint with the public and the instrument,” said the Serenense musician.

Those who also widely enjoyed this programming were the students of the 'We Learn Access' Program of the Elqui Valley, schoolchildren belonging to the Liceo Mistraliano of Paihuano and the Edmundo Cárdenas School of Peralillo. Ángel Godoy is one of the students included in the program, who enjoyed the professional ensemble thanks to the invitation extended by the United States Embassy in Chile: “coming and enjoying this concert seemed magnificent to me, because they are entertaining cultural spaces that They encourage us not only to learn a second language, but also to become interested in art. Personally, I love music, in fact, I belong to an orchestra in the Elqui Valley and I find that manifesting itself through sounds is incredible, it was a very pleasant night indeed.”

In this presentation and like every year, the United States Embassy in Chile provided its valuable support and sponsorship to the professional orchestra of the Coquimbo Region, along with the professionalism of one of the most acclaimed conductors around the world, David Händel. . In the words of Sandra Perroni, cultural specialist at the Embassy, ​​the existing alliance between both entities “it is very important for us, both in our programming and priorities, that Master Händel is here doing classes and sharing with the public through music. ; We precisely want both cultures to gain knowledge and experiences (...), and in this case, the director was right in the programming that they announced together with the orchestra, since it was very attractive for these young people who are learning English, and who now, “They leave with another new knowledge through art and music.”

While Katherine Hall, deputy cultural attaché of the government entity, added that “the support of the United States Embassy in Chile has been consistent with the work of the Universidad de La Serena Symphony Orchestra, where we know it has borne very good results, through the support of various executive, cultural and exchange programs for the benefit of both countries. Working with David Händel has been very beneficial and enriching, since he shares with the students of La Serena and their musicians, allowing us to continue enjoying his music,” she said.

It should be noted that the 2018 concert season is carried out thanks to the financing granted since 2016 by the Ministry of Culture, Arts and Heritage, through Glosa de Presupuesto Nacional, added to the important sponsorship of the United States Embassy. in Chile, and the collaboration of the University of La Serena and the Illustrious Municipality of La Serena, through its Department of Culture and the Municipal Theater.

These days, the group belonging to the Network of Professional Regional Orchestras of the Ministry of Cultures, Arts and Heritage is already preparing its October musical program, which includes chamber concerts with territorial extension in the city of Coquimbo, and the masterful participation that he will have in the 'Jorge Peña Hen Musical Festival' together with the Vocal Ensemble of the University of La Serena, where they will be in charge of closing the regional meeting with a sublime tribute to the lesser-known facet of the maestro: that of a born composer and musical arranger

Source: Press Symphony Orchestra University of La Serena

The meeting organized by the Mismar Cultural Association will commemorate the 45th anniversary of the maestro's death, remembering his brilliant work as a composer.

For four days, the city of La Serena, cradle of music and formation of the first Children's Symphony Orchestra in Chile and Latin America, will dress up to pay a sublime tribute to its most important hero and illustrious son with the 'Jorge Musical Festival Peña Hen: A tribute to the maestro', which rescues his invaluable legacy as a composer and musical arranger. This project is carried out through financing from the 2018 Music Funds, of the Ministry of Cultures, Arts and Heritage.

The unprecedented event, free of charge, is conceived and organized by the Mismar Cultural Association, with the need to share with the city that saw him form and die at the hands of the Caravan of Death, his acclaimed role as leader, born creator and irrefutable talent as a composer. Aspects that are less known about Jorge Peña Hen, taking into account the overwhelming musical quality of his works, the extraordinary orchestrator and the excellent arranger of pieces that he was. Qualities and versatility that led him to write, at only 14 years old, his first piece of music; At the age of 21 he was awarded the Caupolicán Prize for the music of the national film 'Río Abajo', in addition to composing concertos for piano and orchestra, quartets, string suites, multiple adaptations and arrangements of great composers, among which symphonic music stands out. , choral, incidental, works for piano, for Christmas Altarpieces and Children's Opera.

“We believe that the acts and tributes to the maestro will never be enough, but we are convinced that this festival has a very special feature, because it rescues the creative work of Jorge Peña Hen and his need to make and write music (…) . For this reason, we started with the rescue, research, transcription, editing and publication of a large part of his work as a composer, and as the Mismar Cultural Association we set ourselves the task of creating a commemorative festival for him, on the one hand, remembering the 45 years of his murder. and, on the other hand, showing the rescue of their scores and sharing it with the entire community,” said José Luis Urquieta, artistic director of the organizing entity.

The meeting stands out for its programming and artistic proposal, as well as for the number of interventions and the variety of groups and artists that will perform in different places in the colonial city, during daytime and evening hours: “the characteristics of this meeting are very interesting, on the one hand it combines renowned national artists with emerging artists and also regional musicians,” explained Urquieta.

This festival contemplates the logical consequence of the work that the Association carried out during the years 2016 and 2017, musicological research that contains a total of 41 complete works by the great Serenense master; added to the elaboration of its catalog of scores, transcription and musical edition of each of his pieces, in order to enhance and promote the interpretation of it among students, soloists and learned national and international groups. Initiative carried out through financing from the Regional Government of Coquimbo, through the FNDR 2016 Competitive Culture Funds.

As part of the program, the participation of the Surkos Quartet stands out, who will launch their album “Obras para Cuarteto de Cuerdas” in La Serena, produced this year with financing from the 2018 Music Funds, from the Ministry of Arts, Cultures and the Heritage. In the words of the ensemble's violinist, Marcelo Pérez, recording these works was a true privilege, “I had the opportunity to get to know Peña Hen's family a little better. The research we did in the library, we found the scores that were lost in the archives and that was something very significant; taking into account that in addition to all the legacy that he left in pedagogical and orchestral terms, the work of these works reveals the high level of composer that he was,” he explained.

Regarding the realization and significance that this regional festival will have, the musician indicated that “it is very necessary because during this research I realized that many people do not know of the legacy that the maestro left, and others have not even heard his name; "It is very important to teach and make it known through these instances outside of Santiago."

As a consequence of the musical imprint that Peña Hen left, the violinist added that there is so much richness in the works written by the maestro “that rescuing them to be studied seems incredible to me, and something that catches my attention and that is more noticeable in the works that he composed when he was little, are the fugues and the quartet that we find as a posthumous opus; Also his mastery of counterpoint and composition techniques written for the time he lived in Chile makes his innate talent very clear. In addition, his knowledge of European aesthetics, he always put in one way or another his own identity as a Latin American and Chilean, through some sounds that marked his preferences,” Marcelo Pérez explained.

Several of the activities will take place in the new Gabriel Mistral Regional Library in La Serena, an initiative through which concerts, talks and the exhibition of the documentary “Jorge Peña Hen, his music and his children”, made by Gabriel Milla, will be held. Given this exhibition and the holding of this unprecedented festival, the director of the venue, Ximena Sobarzo, stated that “Jorge Peña Hen is part of the musical and artistic heritage of our region. 90 years after his birth, we are committed to disseminating part of his cultural legacy as founder of the first children's orchestra in Latin America and to expanding the cultural rights of boys, girls and young people, especially those who lived in conditions of greater vulnerability (... ). We believe that reading is much more than books, it is also music, sound and images, just as writing is also composition.”

FESTIVAL PROGRAM

Tuesday October 16

12:00 hours | Educational Concert - Liceo Gregorio Cordovez
18:00 hours | Surkos Quartet album launch: “Comprehensive works for string quartet by Jorge Peña Hen” - Gabriela Mistral Regional Library
19:30 p.m. | Concert No. 1 “Music for string quartet” - Gabriela Mistral Regional Library
 

Wednesday 17 October

12:00 hours | Talk “The first children's symphony orchestra in Latin America” - Gabriela Mistral Regional Library
16:00 hours | Documentary Exhibition 'Jorge Peña Hen, his music and his children' - Gabriela Mistral Regional Library
19:00 p.m. | Concert No. 2 “Works for Solo Piano” - Mecesup Hall, Department of Music, University of La Serena.

Thursday October 18

12:00 hours | Talk “The Musical Legacy of Maestro Jorge Peña Hen” - Department of Music, University of La Serena.
19:00 p.m. | Concert No. 3 “Chamber Music and Choral Works” - Mecesup Hall, Department of Music, University of La Serena.

Friday October 19

12:00 hours | Talk “Life and work of teacher Jorge Peña Hen” - Liceo Gregorio Cordovez
20:00 p.m. | Concert No. 4 'Symphonic Works' – Municipal Theater of La Serena