Three young musicians from the Programa Vale Música (Vale Music Program), an original project of Instituto Cultural Vale, chosen through a selection process among 27 candidates, will take part in a special project with the Orquestra Sinfônica Brasileira (Brazilian Symphony Orchestra). The Residência Vale Música (Vale Music Residency) will host, for six months, tuba player Paulo Sérgio Fonseca, 30; horn player Ezequiel da Rocha, 24; and violinist, from Corumbá, Gabriel Ramos Pereira de Souza, 20. They will live together, take classes, take part in rehearsals and perform with one of the country’s largest orchestras.
The three musicians were selected after a rigorous selection process, which lasted about three months and included several stages: registration, screening, videos and in-person selection. Instrumentalists participating in orchestras from the hubs served by Conexões Musicais – a project for democratizing access to concert music, carried out by Fundação OSB since 2017 and which has already promoted educational and cultural activities in about 30 Brazilian municipalities – were eligible to apply.
The Residência Vale Música began in 2022 and the Orquestra Sinfônica Brasileira intends to repeat the initiative annually, creating opportunities for young instrumentalists.
“It’s a mix of privilege and responsibility for the OSB to host such extremely talented musicians. The Residência Vale Música has already established itself as an educational program capable of providing musical, social and human development to each participant. Between classes, workshops, rehearsals and concerts, we create a true ecosystem of learning and rich exchange, fostering the maturity each musician needs to achieve their dream in a sustainable way,” comments Elber Ramos, Educational Coordinator of the OSB.
Gabriel, violinist from Corumbá, is with the Instituto Moinho Cultural. Born in the city of Ribas do Rio Pardo, he began his career at age 5. Born into a family of artists, he has always been in contact with art and has played violin since he was very young. At 17, when he decided to move to Corumbá to take a technical course in Information Technology (IT), he discovered the Instituto Moinho Cultural and his life changed.
“There I grew a lot musically. I finished the IT course, but it was in music that I found myself. I used to think music would be a hobby in my life, but today, I see it as my professional future,” he concludes.
The other two participants in the Residência Vale Música, Paulo Sérgio and Ezequiel, come from the Programa Vale Música Belém, in Pará. The long-term residency will continue until the end of the year, when the students will perform in a grand closing concert, alongside the Orchestra, expected to take place in December.
About the Orquestra Sinfônica Brasileira
Founded in 1940, the Orquestra Sinfônica Brasileira is recognized as one of the most important symphonic ensembles in the country. In its 82 years of uninterrupted history, the OSB has already performed more than five thousand concerts and is recognized for its pioneering initiatives, having been the first orchestra to tour Brazil and abroad, hold open-air performances and run audience-building projects.
Currently made up of more than 70 Brazilian and foreign musicians, the OSB features a regular schedule of concerts, special performances and educational initiatives, as well as a broad social responsibility and cultural democratization project.
To carry out its activities, the Foundation relies on the Federal Cultural Incentive Law, has Instituto Cultural Vale as its maintainer, Shell and NTS – Nova Transportadora do Sudeste as master sponsors, Brookfield and Eletrobras Furnas as sponsors, Sergio Bermudes Advogados and SulAmérica as co-sponsors, in addition to a group of cultural and institutional supporters.
About Instituto Cultural Vale
Instituto Cultural Vale operates on the premise that experiencing culture allows people to broaden their worldview and create new perspectives for the future. It plays an important role in social transformation and seeks to democratize access to, and foster, art, culture, knowledge and the dissemination of various artistic expressions of our country, while also contributing to strengthening the creative economy. There are more than 300 projects created, supported or sponsored in 24 states and the Federal District underway in 2022. Among them, a network of its own cultural spaces, sponsored through the Federal Cultural Incentive Law, with free admission, unique identity and purpose: Memorial Minas Gerais Vale (MG), Museu Vale (ES), Centro Cultural Vale Maranhão (MA) and Casa da Cultura de Canaã dos Carajás (PA). Wherever there’s Culture, Vale is there. Visit the Instituto Cultural Vale website: institutoculturalvale.org.
About the Programa Vale Música
The Programa Vale Música is an original project of Instituto Cultural Vale. The program is a collaborative teaching and learning network among students from music hubs in four states – Pará, Espírito Santo, Minas Gerais and Mato Grosso do Sul – and professionals from the country’s largest orchestras. Altogether, it involves about 250 professionals and more than 1,000 students in exchanges, classes and artistic residencies. Partners of the Programa Vale Música include the Orquestra Sinfônica Brasileira (OSB), the Orquestra Ouro Preto, the Orquestra Filarmônica de Minas Gerais, the Orquestra Sinfônica do Estado de São Paulo (Osesp) and the Nova Orquestra, sponsored through the Federal Cultural Incentive Law. Learn more about the Programa Vale Música at institutoculturalvale.org.
