Mirroring the great orchestras, which have rehearsals and constant performances as their routine, the OCAMP (Orquestra de Câmara do Pantanal / Pantanal Chamber Orchestra) is preparing concerts for every month of the year. The first one took place last weekend at Moinho Cultural, in Corumbá.
The main goal is to build an audience eager for classical music in the heart of the South Mato Grosso Pantanal. “Professional orchestras have rehearsals during the week and performances on weekends as their routine. That’s why our idea is to hold one concert a month to help build the audience. It’s a way for the city to always have an event too, and for people to develop a taste for music,” explains OCAMP’s conductor, José Maikson.
The first concert was “A Viagem de Mozart” (Mozart’s Journey), a fictional story created to engage the audience in a true journey through the life of the Austrian composer. The audience was invited on a trip through Europe and Latin America, with the participation of some dancers from the Companhia de Dança do Pantanal (Pantanal Dance Company) as well.
“We thought of a way to explain the structure of Mozart’s music, who he was, what his musical style was, all in a didactic and engaging way. To add some variety, we included tango and some Brazilian songs too,” says Maikson.
Last year, OCAMP had already presented a repertoire based on Mozart’s work at Sala Cecília Meireles, in Rio de Janeiro.
Manicurist Camila Souza, 36, is the mother of one of the children served by Moinho Cultural and went to watch the concert. “It’s impossible to stay seated with all that repertoire. I get more moved every day by the moments of art and culture that Moinho Cultural offers us,” she said at the end of the performance.
For bank employee Girlene Teixeira, the concert really made the audience embark on a journey. “It was a beautiful show, with a wonderful repertoire and flawless musicians. We are proud to announce ‘OCAMP is from Corumbá!’, to know the musicians and also Moinho Cultural, which gives us so much culture,” she highlighted.
With one concert a month planned, OCAMP is already preparing for the next performance for the Corumbá audience. For those who are curious, the orchestra’s conductor gives a hint: “the repertoire has to do with the ‘seventh art’,” Maikson reveals.
To follow a bit of OCAMP’s routine and stay up to date on upcoming performances, just follow the orchestra’s profile on Instagram: @ocampms.
About OCAMP
The Orquestra de Câmara do Pantanal (Pantanal Chamber Orchestra), officially created in 2018, is part of the activities of the Instituto Moinho Cultural Sul-Americano, which for 18 years has worked on Social Transformation through Art, in Corumbá.
The Orchestra plays a relevant role in the cultural context of the Pantanal region, with a wide program that includes symphonic and chamber repertoires, classical, popular and regional, suitable not only for concert halls, but also for auditoriums, campuses and educational institutions, theaters, amphitheaters and outdoor shows, as well as for small receptions, birthdays, weddings and other events. Its main goals are to promote symphonic and chamber music, innovate in educational and artistic proposals, encourage audience building and, above all, promote interaction between the knowledge produced at the Instituto Moinho Cultural Sul-Americano and society.
In 2022, some musicians from this orchestra joined the Orquestra Vale Música (Vale Música Orchestra) and traveled to Dubai. Tours across Brazil and the staging of FEMUP – Festival de Música de Concerto do Pantanal (Pantanal Concert Music Festival) are also part of the Orchestra’s history.
The Instituto Moinho Cultural Sul-Americano
Moinho Cultural is a civil society organization that has offered dance, music, technology and computer classes for 18 years to children and adolescents in situations of social vulnerability in Corumbá, Ladário, Puerto Suarez and Puerto Quijarro. The continuing education offered by the institution lasts up to eight years. Moinho also works on training creative performers for young people and adults, through the Companhia de Dança do Pantanal, Orquestra de Câmara do Pantanal and Technology Center. The institution’s mission is to reduce social vulnerability in the Brazil-Bolivia border region through access to cultural and technological assets. Since activities began, more than 23,000 children and adolescents have been served by Moinho.
Moinho Cultural currently has master sponsorship via the Cultural Incentive Law from Instituto Cultural Vale, as well as sponsorship from Bellalluna Participações LTDA, Energisa, BRINKS, BTG Pactual, CaraÍ Empreendimentos LTDA, HINOVE, Rodobens, cultural support from Instituto FAR, funding from the Government of the State of Mato Grosso do Sul through the Fundação de Cultura de Mato Grosso do Sul, in addition to the partnership with J.Macêdo and Fecomércio MS-SESC.
Institutional partners include the City Hall of Corumbá, City Hall of Ladário, City Hall of Puerto Suárez, City Hall of Puerto Quijarro, Instituto Homem Pantaneiro, IFMS, UFMS, Acaia Pantanal and other individual and corporate donors.
