Violin and viola, a family history

“Music builds new forms of perceptions of life, it is an entity that transforms society. It allows us to weave a harmonious relationship with each other.” Ana Rojas, Filarmed violist

Together with the double bass and the cello, they make up the bowed string family. Violin and viola are sister instruments, they share similarities, but they are also different. For example, both have their origins in Italy and both require a bow. For the violinist Clara Rojas, The viola is a little larger than the violin, and because it has a larger proportion, it has a much deeper sound. For the violist Ana Rojas, both instruments look similar, but when you listen to their sound independently you can recognize that the viola has a more melancholic and robust sound, while the violin is much brighter. 

An orchestra at home

Clara and Ana Rojas are sisters, they are united by music and a passion for string instruments. Ana has been a member of the Medellín Philharmonic Orchestra since 2004 and Clara since 2006. 

His history in music comes in his blood; His grandfather played the treble, his father played the guitar in church and his mother is passionate about singing; Although they did it empirically, this environment inspired them, and the greatest motivation came from the Network of Music Schools of Medellín when they arrived in Manrique Las Nieves, the neighborhood where they were born. 

In the mid-eighties, Manrique, located in the northeastern part of the city, was permeated by urban conflict and high rates of violence among young people. The Rojas sisters remember that music came to the neighborhood to become a powerful agent of socialization and peace, thanks to which their family found refuge. “The School Network arrived, when I was 8 years old, and my parents saw a great opportunity for us, like our other five siblings, to do something extra to school. “Having that knowledge and encounter with string instruments awakens that link with music in us.”explains Clara.

What began for them as a Hobbie It became a passion, his reason for being. For Ana “It was like having an orchestra at home”, because they rehearsed and practiced as a family, “That was what made us completely immerse ourselves in music”, expresses the violist.

Colombian hope and talent for the world

Clara and Ana remember that one of the most inspiring moments of their lives was when at the age of 14 and 16 respectively, they were selected, along with three other siblings, to be part of the Tour of Hope (2004), visiting cities like Cáceres, Valencia and Madrid, in Spain. In Rome they played live for Pope John Paul II. “Our parents never imagined that five of their children would travel on the same tour, it was a dream come true. This love for music has led us to get to know other cultures, countries, people, and to build a family history around it”, Clara expresses wistfully.

“For me, music is a symbol of family unity and awakens sensitivity. Despite the precarious conditions of those times, I could say that our parents assumed a role similar to that of an orchestra director, because with the same baton they coordinated the entire family with dedication, love and commitment., says Ana.

Can a violinist be a violist, and vice versa?

For them, appropriating an instrument is making it part of their physiognomy, it is a physical, psychic and sensory union.

“Play a note on the viola, yes I can, and I can even do it with the cello”, Clara assures; but interpreting this instrument, getting a good sound out of it or developing it in its entirety, as he does with the violin, he does not believe it is possible. She specialized at the University of Antioquia to be a violinist, and “I would have to study and deepen the viola with body and soul.”

For her part, Ana Rojas believes so, but it must be something that is studied in depth, “I have met violinists who play the viola very well, but to a certain extent it depends on the commitment one has with the instrument. For example, in the United States, in violin majors, they recommend doing a semester of viola to work on the weight of the right arm. That seems important to me, because it also helps to perfect the violin playing.” 

“I didn't choose the violin. I started when I was 8 years old and I was very small, as were my hands, and the only one that fit my physiognomy was this instrument. I think he actually chose me, then it was a built love.” Clara Rojas

Ana stands out from his sister for her leadership capacity and her voice on the violin, “This is one of the characteristics of the personality of this type of instrumentalist, but she does not do it from the ego, but from her nature.", he expresses. 

clear Ana highlights her talent and commitment; love for family and their infinite gift of service.