Ivan Fischer’s assistant forms a migrant orchestra

From our Chile correspondent, Felipe Elgueta:

Chile has become a magnet for Latin American migrants in the last years. An independent initiative led by two women conductors will offer a welcoming gesture to the increasing number of newcomers.

This “Concert for Fraternity” will be performed under the baton of Alejandra Urrutia, the first woman conductor of professional orchestras in Chile. She studied violin and conducting in Chile and the USA, and currently is Iván Fischer’s Assistant Conductor at the Budapest Festival Orchestra.

An orchestra of 120 musicians will perform Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony with a choir of 203 voices (including 44 migrants from 10 countries: Venezuela, Spain, Colombian, USA, Haiti, Argentina, Scotland, Ecuador, Cuba, and Germany). The choir is being prepared by the acclaimed Chilean choir director Paula Elgueta.

The concert will take place on 7 January 2019 at the historical Estación Mapocho Cultural Center, in front of an estimated audience of 5,000.

Alejandra with Arvo Pärt