The most innovative orchestra in the world is Colombian! The Medellín Philharmonic Orchestra wins the Classical:NEXT Innovation Award

The world society for classical and artistic music Classical:NEXT gave to the Medellín Philharmonic Orchestra he Innovation Award.

Classical:NEXT is a network of professionals who work in the classical music sector around the world, and holds a biennial meeting in which more than a thousand people gather to learn about trends and advances in the sector. It is the world's leading event for musicians, producers, agents, journalists, trainers and in general for the entire sector about the future. The meeting that ends today in Hannover, delivered the Innovation Award 2022 to Filarmed. This award for the management model is added to the Latin Grammy for best Latin music album for children obtained in 2021 for the work Tu Rockcito Filarmónico.

The jury valued the Orchestra's management model that strengthens close relationships, believes in music as an agent of social transformation and focuses its efforts on programs that bring symphonic music to all populations in the region, reaching unconventional spaces and that serves neurodiverse youth, victims and former combatants of the armed conflict in Colombia, children in rural environments affected by violence, blind youth, health workers from all over the country and other vulnerable populations.

How to be an innovative orchestra in the 21st century?

Orchestras around the world have asked themselves how to be relevant and strengthen their ties with communities after discovering that the traditional model that is more than 200 years old, offering concerts only in theaters to the same niche audience, is not sustainable. For Filarmed it is very important to have a differentiating factor; being an orchestra in Europe, or in the United States, is not the same as an orchestra in a country like Colombia, in a city like Medellín that is in constant transformation and where the participation of The community is essential to build a better future. “That has been the main motivation, stay relevant and ask ourselves how we can contribute to weaving a better society based on what we know how to do best: symphonic music”, express Maria Catalina Prieto, executive director of Filarmed

For Prieto, it is a great privilege to win the Classical:NEXT Innovation Award, a recognition of what has been cultivated in years of intentional and conscientious work, of being a close, relevant orchestra, of having a differential factor. “That they recognize us like this in Classical:NEXT, where the trends of classical music in the world are set, is of utmost importance,” emphasizes the director.

“Classical:NEXT recognizes ensembles, artists and orchestras that are doing something unusual in the world of music. This is of utmost importance because part of our mission is to look to the future, see opportunities to create and bring them to stimulate the universe of classical music. Filarmed brings innovation and wants to show the world that classical music is for everyone. And it is as it should be, full of new, fresh and dynamic ideas. “This is fantastic!” he says. David Greilsammer, appointed as principal director of Filarmed.

The future of the most innovative orchestra

Filarmed is a non-profit entity, created 39 years ago, it is financed with public and private resources from local, national and international organizations to carry out projects in which music has the greatest impact on society.

It is currently in one of the most interesting moments in its history. In the next five years will work on four fronts: first, be a musical reference in Latin America, to be recognized as one of the most important orchestras in the region and even worldwide. Second, being a bold and innovative organization, which can produce captivating experiences with versatile musicians; that beyond playing an instrument well, they work with others and with other artistic disciplines. Third, being a orchestra rooted in and committed to all types of populations in diverse territories, putting their abilities at the service of social transformation, using music to improve everyone's lives, and finally being a sustainable orchestra financially, organizationally and environmentally.

“We firmly believe in the transformative power of music…we have been working for five years with young people with cognitive disabilities, displaced communities and ex-combatants and victims of the armed conflict, we have also started working with young people and children with hearing and visual disabilities. These communities have in common that through music they can redefine their relationship with the city, with the other and with themselves and others,” explains María Catalina.

Innovation, our highest note

The search for artistic excellence and its understanding as an agent of social transformation are the two sides of the same coin that represent Filarmed. And this is how the innovative model that transforms communities has been consolidated:

Education
Music in the classrooms, dreams and life

Filarmed's pedagogical model is developed in three phases: awareness, musical initiation and orchestral practice. The awareness phase It consists of a first approach to symphonic music in which basic concepts are learned. In the last year they have attended to 11,156 students from 13 educational institutions located in Rionegro, Copacabana, Marinilla, La Ceja, Bello, Segovia and Medellín, thanks to the Comfama Inspiration program.

The phase of musical initiation is presented with the Complementary School Days which was born as the possibility of bringing the little ones closer to culture from their classrooms. The program, in alliance with Comfama, is developed in educational institutions in La Ceja, San Jerónimo and Santa Fé de Antioquia and in the last year it reached 258 students.

The phase of orchestral practice, supported by Fundauniban, is carried out with 379 children in Apartadó, Carepa, Chigorodó, Currulao and Nueva Colonia. This orchestra and pre-orchestra process not only seeks to teach them about classical music, but also to give them tools and values for their lives.

The best thing that can be shared is knowledge

In 2020, the Ecosystem Workshops began, taught by musicians from Filarmed, which seeks to improve the quality of professionals and students in music. Initially the program had departmental scope; Today, thanks to virtuality, the workshops were able to expand throughout Colombia and even internationally.

Social programs

Reconciliation Choir: peace is also built with music

Music, like all art, has the ability to unite, reconcile, and make us see each other equally and without discrimination. Ex-combatants from illegal armed groups and victims of the armed conflict make up the 20 voices that make up the Reconciliation Choir, and who contribute through music to the construction of peace to heal and free their hearts.

I am a Musician: inclusion, a commitment

Five years have passed since the Orchestra recognized that disability can also contribute to transformation and creativity, and that its encounter with music should have no borders. Since 2017 the program was created I'm a musician, in which neurodiverse youth and adults participate in a process of strengthening their musical identity, through musical creation and performance, guided by music therapists.

Music and health

As a moment of respite and calm for health professionals and patients from hospitals in various departments in Colombia, Filarmed created the initiative “Music and health” which has offered a series of virtual concerts and personalized messages full of encouragement and hope. Although this project was primarily focused on health professionals, hospitalized patients have also benefited.

Working with others makes us more creative

Filarmed set out to be an orchestra of and for the city and the world; a relationship of peers with allies and friends of the cultural and creative sector of Medellín, to develop joint projects to strengthen the sector. In addition to fusions with top-level popular artists, the Orchestra works hand in hand with museums, theaters, ballet companies and various artistic collectives.

Best in Classical:NEXT

The importance of this recognition is seen not only in the importance of the entity that grants it but in the nominated experiences, among which the finalists were projects such as Big hART for 'The Acoustic Life of Sheds' (Australia), Death of Classical ( United States), Heartbeat Opera (United States), Musical Storytelling (Lithuania), Nevis Ensemble (Ukraine), Ngarra Burria (Australia), Opera Calcetin (Chile), The Choral Hub (Ukraine) and Tutti a Santa Cecilia (Italy), who use music with a vision of the future and broad social and solidarity content.

This May 28, we will celebrate in concert being the most innovative orchestra

The Medellín Philharmonic Orchestra presents “Music and Democracy”, a tour of musical works that portray political and social situations. Compositions about imperialist battles, fidelity in love, independence, slavery, nationalism, to name a few. for spanish Francisco Valero-Terribas, director of this concert, music itself is a paradigm of democracy and therefore freedom. “…music is made up of different voices that create independent melodic lines, but they only make sense when they are heard in agreement. Each and every one of the voices are necessary and essential, they all express their arguments and have moments of relevance, all of them make up a sublime message.”

To listen

• Overture to “The Happy Slaves”
  JC Arriaga
• opera arias
  Deh, come not late from “The Marriage of Figaro”
  Ach, ich fühl's from “The Magic Flute”
  W. A. Mozart
  O wär ich schon mit dir vereint de “Fidelio”
  L. van Beethoven
• Overture 1812
  P.I. Tchaikovsky
• Symphony No. 2 in D major, Op. 43
  J. Sibelius

Soprano: Manuela Tamayo Briceño (Colombia)
Director: Francisco Valero-Terribas (Spain)