Musicians from the OSB (Orquestra Sinfônica Brasileira, Brazilian Symphony Orchestra) spent a week in Corumbá, in the heart of the Pantanal, sharing knowledge with the children and teenagers served by the Instituto Moinho Cultural Sul-Americano. Musicians from OCAMP (Orquestra de Câmara do Pantanal, Pantanal Chamber Orchestra) also took part in the improvement exchange.
The exchange is part of the Conexões Musicais (Musical Connections) project, which has offered musical improvement to students served by the Programa Vale Música, at Moinho Cultural. The visits by OSB musicians are teaching residencies, in which renowned Brazilian musicians give classes to Moinho Cultural participants, with the goal of improving instrumental technique, concert practice and the interpretation of different styles.
OSB musician Thiago Tavares says the idea was to share music and knowledge, but he ended up receiving much more from the children and teenagers served by Moinho Cultural.
“As a musician, I am extremely happy and moved by this partnership. We came here to share music, knowledge and experience giving. We came to give and it turned out we received more from the students. They are thirsty to learn, we are very grateful to have this opportunity and, for sure, I will go back to Rio de Janeiro with my heart washed clean,” he said.
The dedication of the future musicians caught the attention of trumpeter Nilson Coelho. “The students are very, very dedicated, hard-working and you can tell they all have talent, and with a little more guidance, the sky is the limit for these kids. For us, it is always a pleasure to be able to spread our music and share it with the children. This exchange is very important for our own experience,” he pointed out.
For OSB principal timpanist and percussion soloist Fernanda Kremer, her first trip to Corumbá was special.
“Through this sponsorship from the Instituto Cultural Vale, we have the chance to visit projects like Moinho Cultural and share a bit of our knowledge with those served by it. Walking through the Moinho Cultural building listening to music, seeing the students so disciplined and interested, so thirsty to learn, is truly inspiring for us. We take with us a bit of all this energy that happens here, which is fantastic. All the students are super interested and focused. We believe that, through music, we will be able to bring about a social transformation for a better world,” the musician said.
Moinho Cultural’s executive director, Márcia Rolon, explains that the experience is a unique one in the lives of dozens of children and teenagers served by the institution, which has worked in the Pantanal border region for more than 18 years.
“This exchange is a new world opening up in the lives of our children and teenagers. It is a unique and extremely motivating experience. Being able to welcome such renowned and experienced musicians to the Pantanal is a gift that has certainly helped transform lives through art,” she said.
This time, Moinho Cultural also opened its doors and invited student musicians from other projects in the city, such as Instituto Novo Olhar and the Banda Municipal Manoel Florencio, providing access to excellent instruction for children and young people who are not part of Moinho.
ABOUT MOINHO CULTURAL
Founded in 2004, Moinho Cultural is a civil society organization that works in Brazil’s border territories for the positive transformation of local reality, giving voice and opportunity to children, teenagers and young people through access to cultural assets, technological knowledge, notions of entrepreneurship and full citizenship. Since it began its activities, more than 23,000 children and teenagers have been served by the institution.
Moinho Cultural, which was born in Corumbá, in the heart of the Pantanal of Mato Grosso do Sul, also works in training creative performers. From the work developed at the institution came the Cia de Dança do Pantanal (Pantanal Dance Company) and OCAMP (Orquestra de Câmara do Pantanal), which have spread Pantanal art throughout Brazil and abroad.
ABOUT THE BRAZILIAN SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA:
Founded in 1940, the Orquestra Sinfônica Brasileira is recognized as one of the country’s most important symphonic ensembles. In its 82 years of uninterrupted history, the OSB has already performed more than five thousand concerts and is recognized for the pioneering nature of its actions, having been the first orchestra to tour Brazil and abroad, hold open-air performances and audience-building projects.
Currently made up of more than 70 Brazilian and foreign musicians, the OSB offers a regular schedule of concerts, special performances and educational actions, in addition to a broad social responsibility and cultural access democratization project.
To carry out its activities, the Foundation relies on the Federal Law of Incentive to Culture, has the 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 set of cultural and institutional supporters.
ABOUT THE INSTITUTO CULTURAL VALE:
The Instituto Cultural Vale operates on the principle that experiencing culture allows people to broaden their view of the world and create new perspectives for the future. It plays an important role in social transformation and seeks to democratize access, foster art, culture, knowledge and the spread of diverse artistic expressions of our country, while contributing to the strengthening of the creative economy. In 2020-2022, the Instituto Cultural Vale sponsored more than 600 projects in more than 24 states and the Federal District. Among them, a network of its own cultural spaces, sponsored through the Federal Law of Incentive to Culture, with free admission, unique identity and vocation: Memorial Minas Gerais Vale (MG), Museu Vale (ES), Centro Cultural Vale Maranhão (MA) and Casa da Cultura de Canaã dos Carajás (PA). Where there is Culture, Vale is there.
ABOUT THE PROGRAMA VALE MÚSICA:
The Programa Vale Música (Vale Music Program) is an original project of the Instituto Cultural Vale. The program is a collaborative teaching and learning network among students from musical hubs in four states – Pará, Espírito Santo, Minas Gerais and Mato Grosso do Sul – and professionals from the country’s largest orchestras. In all, 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 Law of Incentive to Culture.
