Responding to its cultural history, the regional capital is once again positioning itself as a great musical hotbed and manager of spaces for the training of new teachers.

After a week of hard work, exchange and constant learning (from May 10 to 17) the La Serena Regional Symphony Orchestra Foundation has successfully completed its First International Orchestral Conducting Course together with two Chilean conductors with great musical experience: the teachers Rodolfo Fischer Rojas and Felipe Hidalgo Harris. The training event brought together about 30 students from different latitudes in Chile and the world, who, using the same language, were able to strengthen their work in conducting orchestras.

'Los Atrapieblas' (advanced level) and 'Los Papayos' (intermediate level) were the groups that inaugurated this first workshop in La Serena, in addition to a dozen students who participated as listeners. This course was aimed at all orchestra directors, musicians or advanced students, without age or nationality restrictions, thus obtaining an active audience from different cities in Chile, Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil and Spain. The main objective of the workshop offered conductors the opportunity to work on repertoire in front of an orchestra, under the vision of two experienced orchestral conducting trainers.

Given this materialization, Rodolfo Fischer explained that this is part of a vision that “I started having in 2016 when FOJI gave me the impetus and opportunities to scan the country. Knowing what the level of orchestral conducting was, especially with regard to youth orchestras, and there I was able to make a survey of the needs that existed, and little by little I worked in Chile as well as in Switzerland to give the conductors the steps to continue improving. A year ago I came to the conclusion that I already had a group sufficiently prepared to face a professional orchestra and we did the first experience in Valdivia with the Los Ríos Philharmonic and, now, with the Universidad de La Serena Symphony Orchestra we successfully repeat the experience” , he deepened the baton.

The teacher based in Switzerland also highlighted the work and accompaniment provided by the university orchestra for the rehearsals of the intermediate group and maestro Hidalgo, in addition to the Universidad de La Serena Regional Symphony Orchestra, which worked alongside the advanced group under the supervision of maestro Fischer : “The enthusiasm that the musicians had in collaborating at every moment was very important. In the case of the university, it allowed us to strengthen those who are in another stage of orchestral development (…), at the level of 'Los Papayos', young people still have to learn gestural mechanics, how it works and what coordination is like. so that the orchestra responds well; while at the most advanced level, 'Los Atrapieblas', we worked on how I communicate my ideas correctly to the orchestra, that is, it has to do with the work I must have with people; Hopefully in a non-verbal way and if it is verbal, it will be extraordinarily precise because time is very limited. So the processes are very fast and the information must be exact,” explained the baton.

Workshop participants shared their opinions regarding this successful course. Alejandra Rivas Troncoso, traveled from Purén, in the Araucanía Region, to perfect herself for 7 days with maestro Fischer: “there are very few instances of orchestral conducting courses with professional ensembles. I have worked with youth orchestras all my life, I like it a lot, but I think it is important that youth orchestras begin to have a more professional profile and for that, those of us who direct must have experience with dealing with professionals, who It is different. Furthermore, the teachers who taught this course are of a very good level, both Felipe Hidalgo and Rodolfo Fischer are not only very good directors, but they are also very good directing teachers,” the participant emphasized.

José Fernández Camacho (Málaga, Spain) was another of the active students of the course. The clarinetist knows Maestro Fischer's work very well: “he was my mentor in the city of Basel (Switzerland) where I finished my studies. I have been the principal clarinet of said orchestra for three years and now, I am starting in the world of conducting as well; first with young orchestras, small ensembles and with everything that could collaborate. Now in Chile, this is my first foray into the Latin American world with this wonderful La Serena Orchestra,” explained the Spaniard, who was also awarded by the ensemble itself as the outstanding participant and invited to conduct the regional ensemble in the 2020 season. .-

Finally, teacher Felipe Hidalgo Harris highlighted the creation of this course, which projects new versions in the city of La Serena in the future: “this is a quite notable space because first it is an International Course, I don't know if Chile has organized international courses previously; second, it is accompanied by a professional orchestra such as the La Serena Regional Symphony and that is very important because it effectively leads the students to put into practice everything they have learned this week, they manage to apply the corrections in the moment, taking the pulse of what it is really like to lead a professional orchestra and that is extremely valuable for a conductor,” said Maestro Hidalgo.

Written by Camila Pérez, University of La Serena Symphony Orchestra