Music, because of its specific and far-reaching metaphorical powers,

can name the unnamable and communicate the unknowable.

 

Leonard Bernstein

 

 

Nowadays, a website is a crucial communication tool. It allows us – as performing artists – to convey a message and provides reference material for presenters, orchestras, ensembles, colleges and universities, agents, managers, contractors, media and audience members. In this particular case, I would like to offer visitors a more complete impression of my activity as orchestra conductor, and helping to create community by sharing links with supporters, colleagues, and organizations. It allows me the opportunity to speak about some essential issues that you as kind visitor would have about my activity and thoughts.

 

What are the reasons I am in music? What are my motivations to be an orchestra conductor? Well, I just remember that I was a boy and I was taking piano lessons, listening to recordings of famous orchestras and I was conducting in front of the LP player, dreaming to be in front of an orchestra. Today, when I am studying a score to prepare rehearsals and concerts, I discover that I am happy with the perspective to be soon on the podium again and produce the mysterious, unnamable and magic of music that will touch the hearts of the audience members. I discover everyday my passion for making music. I love the process of making music itself. I love practicing and studying. I love the emotional and intellectual experience it produces, as I love performing for and connecting with the audience, my raison d’étre. I love performing with energy, insight, and generosity of expression, thinking that I could convince the first time listener that coming back to another performance is worthwhile, that music matters, that music is essential.

 

The performance experience is a kind of creative, individual and communal partnership created by the performer and each audience member. I love to be on the podium. I love to inspire my colleagues and friends musicians, but I have real fun when I feel that together, we touched the heart of each audience member, creating a communal involvement, that we had all shared something powerful through the live performance experience and confirming the assumption that as musicians we are agents of positive change in the world.

 

As citizen artists, we must be involved in the community. We have to recognize that it is our responsibility as professional artists to help shape culture and assist other citizens – audience members, the general public – understand why the arts and culture are relevant.

 

Dr. Larry Kaptain – a dear mentor and role model— says that “building community is central to our quest to be inclusive, form an entrepreneurial vision and then provide leadership in swiftly driving organizational development in a new century.”  As citizen artists we can contribute to create a world of tolerance, of compassion, of empathy, and of hope.

 

Leonard Bernstein is quoted as saying, “Music . . . can name the unnameable and communicate the unknowable.”  As a cultural leader, communicator and artist-citizen it has been my life’s work to work with both professional and young people in those words spoken by a great musician and humanitarian. As a former director of the Orchestral Academy Program of the Carlos Chávez Youth Symphony Orchestra (CCYSO) and as one of its guest conductors, my career has been advanced through numerous developmental opportunities in Mexico.

 

This last period in Mexico has been very fortunate, with important conducting opportunities, as well as the possibility to change the world and the lives of many children and young persons as a part of this global movement of social action through music at the national program of El Sistema. I am grateful for the kind and friendly welcome from all my colleagues from the Sistema Nacional de Fomento Musical when I returned to work for El Sistema in Mexico (SNFM) two years ago. I would like to express my admiration and respect to all of them for their commitment and hard work, as well for their support and gentleness towards me.

 

Many thanks to former director of El Sistema Mexico, Enrique Barrios for inviting me back to collaborate in this wonderful endeavor and for the many opportunities to conduct and tour with the flagship orchestra of El Sistema Mexico, the Carlos Chávez Youth Symphony Orchestra, as well for his support to my engagements with professional orchestras and the enhancement of my conducting career.

 

Many thanks also to present director of El Sistema Mexico, Eduardo García Barrios, for also supporting my conducting career and for the opportunity to participate actively with a wonderful team in the new strategies to expand El Sistema programs all around in Mexico and transforming the lives of many children and young people, their families and their communities.

 

I would like to manifest a special acknowledgment to the government of the United States for granting me the EB 11 Immigrant visa as “Alien of Extraordinary Abilities,” in recognition to my professional achievements and contributions in my perspective field through documentation. This has been a long term personal project. I would like to express a word of gratitude to the efforts and commitment of my immigration lawyer Steven C. Thal, and his assistant for most of the time Wendy Dieser, from Minnesota, who patiently and resiliently has accompanied us (my wife and me) during all this process.

 

I am happy to share that since June 30, 2013 I am a new resident of the United States and I have a green card and social security number. This moment is a time of transition to settle permanently in my new country of residence. I want to keep conducting, growing in my career and as citizen artist contribute to create a better word with a growing desire to move to an organization that can leverage my experience as a conductor and my passion for music.

 

 

“Now for the rest of my life I have an example that 

talent is evenly distributed in the universe,

only opportunity is not.”

 

President Bill Clinton