The long-awaited trilogy of concerts captivated adults, children and fans of George Lucas' Universe, giving life to a generous repertoire with pieces from episodes I to VII.

Thousands of people experienced an extraordinary weekend in the Coquimbo Region, after attending the Aula Magna of the Ignacio Domeyko ULS Campus to enjoy the unforgettable and masterful show 'Star Wars: A Movie Concert', performed by the Symphony Orchestra Regional University of La Serena during three successful days.

The ambitious proposal inspired by the Universe of George Lucas and which responds to the eighth Season Concert of the symphonic ensemble, captivated adults, children and, above all, fans of the saga with a high-level staging never before seen in the country. leading attendees to an immersive musical experience immersed in the senses with the projection of images in 16/9 cinema format in high definition and a sublime selection of works that included from episode I to VII, delighting the audience with pieces such as 'The Asteroid Field', 'The Imperial March', 'Princess Leia's Theme', 'Rey's Theme', 'Scherzo for X-Wings' and 'Throne Room and Finale', which were performed with great strength and character.

Rodrigo Tapia Salfate was in charge of holding the baton during the memorable days of Starwarian music. His conduction was impeccable and precise, energizing more than 50 musicians on stage and nearly 1.300 attendees, and leaving an imprint that makes him worthy of one of the most important musical events held in the region during 2019: “First of all, I feel very grateful for having had the opportunity to conduct these three concerts. Grateful for the orchestra and its dedication because it is a very demanding program, which people know and, therefore, we cannot disappoint; we have to sound like the soundtrack that people remember. “We are very happy because this was achieved and the public enjoyed it,” he noted.

Regarding the execution of the repertoire, the Serenense maestro maintained that John Williams' orchestrations “range from the subtle to the pompous and the glorious, to the majestic, with beautiful melodic and soloistic passages, with dramatic sections, always technically challenging.” and interpretive, especially in this saga that has a lot of character and that has marked several generations. The two sides confront each other, so to speak: the theme of love and the theme of the dark side and these vary, combine, mix through all these films, during these 40 years of history. So there is a great demand for the orchestra and for the musicians, because we have to go through all the emotional states, existing and to be had, in just an hour and a half,” the baton continued.

The audience, effervescent by this intergalactic trip, was surprised by the level of the show and the opportunity to enjoy it without leaving the territory. Luis Suarez Galleguillos was accompanied by his 11-year-old daughter, and together they vibrated with the music and the staging offered by the professional ensemble: “we thought it was fabulous. The truth is that there are few times that one has the opportunity to see events of this magnitude and my daughter and I are super happy to have come. “We bought the tickets well in advance, so we are very, very happy to have enjoyed this great show,” she indicated. For the youngest, Catalina Flores, “the concert was really spectacular, I thought it was very good because I am also a fan of the saga, so I congratulate the orchestra for this show. It was beautiful, I loved it,” she expressed excitedly.

Ignacio Muñoz and Carolina Ossandón were also part of the fans who came to the university campus. “I have been a fan of the saga since I was a child and I really liked this concert, it was very well done. Furthermore, the auditorium is very suitable for this type of show and the orchestra sounded incredible,” Carolina said. For his part, Ignacio hopes that these types of shows continue to be repeated: “for someone who is a fan, he appreciates seeing these types of concerts. The acoustics of the room are very good and the orchestra could be heard very well, it is clear that they are all great musicians because playing those works should not be easy; In addition to that, the images they transmitted were very good. “It was a great event,” she indicated.

Each of the days featured clubs, fan groups and great guests from the region, who presented the best of their work through cosplays, diorama, exhibition of figures, accessories, stickers and photographic exhibition. Felipe Monardes Mena, creator of Rebel Pelícano (@rebelpelicano) dazzled with toy photography and his great compositions: “I am very grateful for the opportunity I had as Rebel Pelicano to exhibit during these three days. The stand was very visited, with many enthusiastic fans and curious people coming, with whom I shared good talks and they left me practically without prints or stickers,” he expressed.

Another of the great guests that delighted fans with their displays was the 'Vader's First and Collectors' Group, who provided helmets, blasters and lightsabers so that people could feel like a Jedi or Sith. In addition, many had the opportunity to take photos with characters such as The Emperor (Robinson Munizaga), Stromtrooper (Rafael Munizaga), Biker Scout (Roberto Urquieta), Inferno Squad (Hernán Álvarez), Poe Dameron (Eduardo Rivera), Kylo Ren (Nicolás Días ) and Piloto Tie (Claudio Robledo), in addition to filling the stand where dioramas and figures from the saga were displayed, led by Hugh Caró and Pamela Hernández, members of the group.

This season is carried out thanks to the financing of the Ministry of Cultures, Arts and Heritage, which since 2016 has been attached to the National Budget Glosa; in addition to the important support provided by the University of La Serena and the Directorate of Linkage with the Environment and Extension (DIVEULS); the Municipality of La Serena and its Department of Culture; and the Municipality of Coquimbo in conjunction with its Department of Culture.

Written by Camila Pérez, University of La Serena Symphony Orchestra