As part of the Institutional Agreements that develop the Collaboration with Ibero-America program established by the Conservatori del Liceu since 20 years ago, Professor Sergi Vergés, professor and director of the Big Band of the Conservatori Liceu, participated in the Third Big Band Camp organized by the School of Music of the Universidad Sergio Arboleda from June 7 to 11, 2022. This initiative aims to build community around jazz and its conversations with other genres and formats. Other Colombian educational institutions, such as the Universidad Nacional and the Universidad Javeriana, among others, participated in the event.
During the week, various academic and musical activities took place: master classes, instrument classes, workshops and concerts. The camp was attended by a large number of teachers and students from different regions of Colombia. The event closed with a concert at the University Auditorium, Hall 74, with the participation of several Big Bands directed by Professor Vergés.
Subsequently, during the week of June 13-17, as part of the collaboration agreement with the University of Caldas, master classes and workshops were held in Manizales for students and professors of the University’s School of Music. Among the activities was the concert at the Centro Cultural Universitario Rogelio Salmona, by the Big Band of the Universidad de Caldas, also under the direction of Sergi Vergés, as part of the Concert Season of the Department of Music.
Another of the main activities was the workshop held with the Villamaría Symphonic Band, one of the most outstanding ensembles of the Bands of the Caldas region program, as part of a program specific to this region of Colombia, which officially began in 1980 and currently has numerous ensembles throughout the area. Caldas is the region of the country with the largest number of youth bands. As part of the institutional collaboration, the Conservatori Liceu has already hosted the Villamaría Symphonic Band in Barcelona, organizing master classes and concerts.
In addition to the artistic value of the program, the most important impact is in the social dimension, since the objectives are not only concentrated in the musical field, but extend above all to the purpose of improving the lives of the young people who are part of it, by favoring the occupation of free time, generating greater educational coverage and channeling the artistic talent of children and young people.
These activities are part of the Conservatori Liceu Foundation’s international program, and specifically of its Collaboration Program with Latin America, which began in 2001 and in which academic and artistic activities are carried out in nine countries in the region (Colombia, Venezuela, Mexico, Cuba, Ecuador, Peru, Argentina, Chile and Brazil). Through these collaborations, the Conservatori Liceu Foundation stresses the fundamental role of private social initiative as part of public service and the development of various institutional collaboration agreements, with the conviction that music is a fundamental tool for social cohesion.