PROFESSIONALIZATION HAVANA LYCEUM ORCHESTRA
DEVELOPMENT
Ever since the Cuban-European Youth Academy has been founded, many musicians have been supported through masterclasses, transatlantic orchestra projects or postgraduate study courses. One of the main aims of the CuE has alway been to build perspectives for young Cuban musicians in their own country. Many of the CuE participants have already been playing together in the Havana Lyceum Orchestra during their studies. The orchestra is directed by the young Cuban conductor José Antonio Méndez Padrón. It rehearses and performs in the historical centre of Havana at the Lyceum Mozartiano de la Habana, an independent cultural institution which is working closely together with the Music University of Havana (ISA) and the Oficina del Historiador of Dr. Eusebio Leal and which has been founded through the initiative and long-term support of the Stiftung Mozarteum Salzburg in 2009. Once founded as a youth orchestra, the Havana Lyceum Orchestra now counts among the leading ensembles of the country. Despite the excellent artistic quality, the musicians have however played without receiving any fee for many years.
PROFESSIONALIZATION
Thanks to the financial support of the donor Klaus Engel an important step could be made in 2018: The Orchestra is now working like an independent, private orchestra. The musicians are receiving a fee for the projects, and they have inaugurated a series with monthly concerts in Havana. The orchestra is already very popular in Cuba and it is regularly working with international conductors and soloists. This private financial support is meant as an start-up financing for three years. At the same time, the orchestra is working on developing further sources of funding, e.g. through CD recordings and tours.
TOUR 2020: MOZART & MAMBO
The orchestra has been working closely with Sarah Willis for several years. In 2017, the Berliner Philharmoniker’s horn player travelled to Cuba for the first time and was thrilled by the artistic work of the Cuban musicians. Under the title „Mozart & Mambo“, she initiated a project of the heart, at the centre of which was a joint CD production in winter 2019/2020, accompanied by a documentary for Deutsche Welle and Unitel. The CD was released in summer 2020. With the support of the Goethe Institute with funds from the Federal Foreign Office, a major joint tour of Germany was planned for August 2021, the proceeds of which would in turn benefit the orchestra. As part of this tour, the orchestra will present itself as a professional ensemble far removed from all Cuba clichés on the European concert stages at the Rheingau Music Festival, the Darmstadt Residence Festival, the Kultursommer Nordhessen, the Young Euro Classic and the Elbphilharmonie Sommer, among others.
CONCERT DATES
03.08.2021
17:00 // 20:00
Danzas Cubanas: Chamber Music Concert
Rheingau Musik Festival, Kloster Eberbach
04.08.2021
17:00 // 20:00
Mozart y Mambo: Orchestra Concert
Rheingau Musik Festival, Kurhaus Wiesbaden
05.08.2021
17:00 // 20:00
Cuban Night: Cooperation Concert with „Vocal Sampling“
Rheingau Musik Festival, Kurhaus Wiesbaden
06.08.2021
20:00
Havana Horns
Rheingau Musik Festival, Schloss Johannisberg
07.08.2021
20:30
Mozart y Mambo: Orchestra Concert
Darmstädter Residenzfestspiele, Schloss Kranichstein
08.08.2021
20:30
Chamber Music Concert
Darmstädter Residenzfestspiele, Schloss Kranichstein
12.08.2021
20:00
Mozart y Mambo: Orchestra Concert
Kultursommer Nordhessen, Kongress Palais Kassel
15.08.2021
11:00 // 20:00
Mozart y Mambo: Orchestra Concert
Young Euro Classic, Konzerthaus Berlin
18.08.2021
18:30 // 21:00
Mozart y Mambo: Orchestra Concert
Elbphilharmonie Sommer, Elbphilharmonie Hamburg
FURTHER INFORMATION
⇒ Website of the Havana Lyceum Orchestra
⇒ Website of the project „Mozart y Mambo“
