The evenings featured a varied and colossal selection of works of European origin and an absolute premiere written for the wind and percussion ensemble of the professional ensemble.

With two presentations in the Province of Elqui, the University of La Serena Symphony Orchestra captivated its faithful audience with a great concert of European tradition and an absolute premiere of national origin written by the great composer José Manuel Piña. The fascinating journey through the emotions of 'Ilusión & Surprise' was led by two outstanding Chilean musicians: the Graduate in Higher Piano Performance from the University of Chile and director Sebastián Camaño Saavedra, and the first bassoon of the Alevi Peña Jiménez symphonic ensemble.

The program included a magnificent selection of works that were explained and contextualized by the Chilean conductor herself, generating a pleasant closeness between the attendees and the different symphonies that were presented. Among them is the Overture 'La bella Melusina', Op. 32 by the German Félix Medelssohns, a piece that evokes the emotions present in this Second Season Concert, and that refers to the legend of the Melusina: a sea nymph that She marries Count Raymond, under the sole condition that she not be visited on Saturdays, days on which she transforms into a mermaid.

Then it was the turn of the outstanding Serenense concert pianist, who delighted with his interpretation and mastery when offering the 'Bassoon Concerto', Op. 75 by the composer Carl María Von Weber. A bold pre-romantic piece that represents one of the best-known solo works for the instrument.

For those who attended the two nights of concerts, this work was completely captivating: “the bassoon is clearly a very difficult instrument and he did wonders with it. I understood that he brought out his maximum expression in the entire scale of sounds that the bassoon has, from the highest and sharpest notes to the bass that made us vibrate. Truly extraordinary,” commented Enrique Valenzuela, who was present at the territorial extension concert held at the Palace Cultural Center.

The musical journey continued with another perfect selection. It was the piece 'A labyrinth of hills', a soundscape written by the Chilean composer José Manuel Piña for the wind and percussion group of the professional ensemble of the Estrella Region. The author commented that the work was inspired “in a text by Gabriela Mistral, where she recognizes herself as coming from a labyrinth of hills due to the transversal valleys where she grew up.”

The guest conductor, Sebastián Camaño, also referred to the debut of the work 'A Labyrinth of Hills' and the outstanding work carried out by the symphonic ensemble: “It is an absolute premiere, a work that the orchestra commissioned for its wind ensemble. and percussion. It is very important that a Chilean orchestra like the La Serena regional one is doing this; “That gives a greater plus to the group because it is actively participating and commissioning the premiere of Chilean works,” he expressed.

Finally, the concerts held at the Palace Cultural Center in Coquimbo and the Mecesup hall of the ULS Music Department in La Serena put the finishing touch with another colossal European work, Symphony No. 94 in G Major by Joseph Haydn, called 'The Surprise' because of his second move.

This new season is financed by the Ministry of Culture, Arts and Heritage, which since 2016 has been attached to the Glosa de Presupuesto Nacional; in addition to the important institutional support given by the University of La Serena, through the Directorate of Links with the Environment and Extension (DIVEULS); the Municipality of La Serena, through its Department of Culture; and the Municipality of Coquimbo with the support of the Palace Cultural Center.

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Written by Camila Pérez, University of La Serena Symphony Orchestra