The second concert of the 2018 season thrilled those present with the premiere of the work 'Lullaby for Fuegia Basket', by the young national promise, Tomás Brantmayer.
 
Music and history were the protagonists of a new night of concerts at the Municipal Theater of La Serena, which included three works inspired by Great Britain and performed by the University of La Serena Symphony Orchestra, an ensemble belonging to the Network of Regional Orchestras Professionals from the Ministry of Cultures, Arts and Heritage, who gave life to an unforgettable repertoire, framed in its program 'The Symphony of Cultures'.

The event, attended by the Rector of the state campus, Dr. Nibaldo Avilés, was guided by Rodolfo Fischer, the prominent national conductor who is triumphing in Switzerland - a country where he has resided since 2003 - and who with his orchestral imprint captivated the audience with this brilliant presentation. For the occasion, the orchestral ensemble performed 'Two pieces for small orchestra', by the English composer Frederick Delius, the work 'Lullaby for Fuegia Basket', by the young national composer, Tomás Brantmayer - whose work moved those present - and the Suite 'A Midsummer Night's Dream', Op. 61, by the German conductor and pianist Félix Mendelssohn.

Given the reaction of the attendees, especially with the debut of the work 'Lullaby for Fuegia Basket' - inspired by the story of a Kawésqar girl, who was taken hostage by Captain Fitz Roy in 1830, to live under the customs Europeans - Maestro Fischer expressed that “it is important to show these types of themes, because they are things that mark a country.”

In relation to the joint work with Tomás Brantmayer, with whom he has worked on other occasions, the guest director pointed out that “although his work is very descriptive, I like to give an introduction before starting, so that the audience can imagine the story behind it.” ", adding that "when I believe in a composer, it is part of my policy to work with him for several seasons, in order to accompany him in his growth and maintain an exchange of knowledge," confessed Rodolfo Fischer.

Regarding the performance of the members of the professional orchestra, the Chilean maestro stated that “they were very willing to meet the demands of this repertoire, since it required a lot of concentration and elegance,” adding that there are plans to forge new ones in the future. works with the musical ensemble. “In addition to the joy that it would give me to continue conducting this orchestra, I want to combine this work with my pedagogical performance, because the University of La Serena Symphony Orchestra has the history and tradition of being a platform that makes young conductors known. that are beginning to emerge in Chile and that I am helping to form,” he said.

Seasonal success

For Tomás Brantmayer, the premiere of his work "Lullaby for Fuegia Basket" is synonymous with happiness: “I am very happy to be able to collaborate with this orchestra, because its vast relationship with contemporary music, and with conducting, is a known fact.” of Maestro Fischer was noticeable tonight,” said the composer.

In addition to this and regarding his work with the renowned conductor, Brantmayer argued that “I respect and admire the maestro very much, so I feel very honored to continue working with him, especially because he understands my music very well.”

This is directly related to the introduction that Fischer gave before starting the work, which presented uprooting as the main theme, to which the young author explained that “I chose this theme as inspiration, because this girl represents the highest place of the dispossessed, exposed to a society incapable of understanding her, which is also a current issue, considering that this is a country in which being indigenous, a woman and a child can mean something tragic.”

Regarding his participation in this season, Brantmayer confessed that “I would like to work again as soon as possible with the Universidad de La Serena Symphony Orchestra, since the magical thing about working with an orchestra like this is that you discover things in your work that “You didn’t know they were there.”

Regarding the opinions of the public, Patricio Salinas, a regular visitor to the concerts of the professional group and follower of Radio Universitaria FM of the University of La Serena, expressed that “this orchestra is a pillar of culture in the Coquimbo Region, because "There is no other instance that offers us the same." For her part, Carolina Guede, lyrical singer and former student of the Jorge Peña Hen Experimental School of Music, pointed out that “it is extremely notable that the orchestra has the participation of musicians of the caliber of Fischer and Brantmayer, because they enhance the culture of the region and generate greater proximity to the arts.”

It should be noted that this new season of concerts is developed thanks to the collaboration of the Ministry of Cultures, Arts and Heritage, from whom it receives part of its financing from the National Budget Glosa since 2016; in addition to the support provided by the University of La Serena and the Municipality of La Serena, through its Department of Culture.

Source: Press Symphony Orchestra University of La Serena