Final day of the festival

So much joy, energy and skills from players of all ages at the final concert.

Bravo Acuarius Zambrano and Francimar Diaz for staging the festival in this new environment and circumstances.

Thank you! Gracias!

Solo concert

For the first time Askell Massons Konzertstuck for snare drum was performed in Sala Simon Bolivar, Caracas. Thé pièce was written for Roger in 1982.

Roger played the solo part accompanied by the Simón Bolivar Orchestra B.

Percussionistic happiness

The percussion ensemble of Guanare has made a restart and the next generation is coming along really fine!

Watch and listen to them Play!


 https://vimeo.com/371897932 
https://vimeo.com/371898348

Percussionists

Here are the students participating in the 11th International Percussion festival. Talented kids, semi professionals and professional players in the Simon Bolivar Orchestra.

In the middle of the picture is Acuarius Zambrano, Artistic Director of the Acadamy, and founder of the Percussion festival. He is an ongoing inspiration for El Sistemas percussionists as well as for us. Always working to make the impossible possible.

Roger together with Acuarius Zambrano and the principal percussionist of the Symphony Orchestra of Venezuela and also Karel Zambrano, one of Orchestra Simon Bolivars newest members.

Orchestra rehearsal

So now it’s time for the first rehearsal together with the Simón Bolivar Orchestra.

We recognize a few faces but learned that three quarters of the musicians have left the country since we were here in 2015. Sad, but the new generation is doing really great!

The concert will be recorded and filmed by six (6) cameras for documentary purposes. Here is the team to produce it.

Maestro Jose Antonio Abreu’s sister is doing a great job to fulfill Maestros wish to record everything that is performed within El Sistema.

Askell Masson’s Konzertstuck for snare drum and orchestra will be performed on November 9th in Sala Simon Bolivar, Centro Nacional accion pour la Musica in Caracas.

Not only Symphony Orchestra

On Friday we got to experience a concert out of the none expected. Simon Bolivar Big Band extended with singers and percussion. A concert so full of life, smiles, energy and good music!

https://vimeo.com/370888738

It was great to recognise students whom we met before. In 2012 we met a young girl in Puerto Ordaz who stopped us saying: I want to sing to you! Wow! Her voice was like a young Whitney Houston´s.


In the concert she was one of the soloists. Still a tremendous voice, more mature and performing with a fabulous joy. Thank you Sofia Castillo!

In this picture together with Roger is also another great singer, a pianist and Maestro Andres Briceno.

Master classes

The students are so well prepared and eager to learn. Today the older students brought what they are working on and wants to get respons on. They play orchestral excerpts on snaredrum and xylophone on the most advandced level. And also some latin American peaces for marimba.

Shostakovitch, concerto no 2 for cello.
Britten, Young person´s guide.
Debussy, La mer
Ravel, Boléro
Rimsky Korsakov, Scheherazade
Bach, Bach and Bach...

The students are a new generation of percussionists because almost all of the adult players in Simon Bolivar Orchestra have left the Country. But the younger ones are doing fantastic!

https://vimeo.com/370897624

11th International Percussion Festival

The international percussion festival  has for 10 years been staged in Guanare. But due to the situation in the country the11th edition has been moved to Caracas. The festival is a great accomplishment of Acuarius Zambrano as artistic director. His wife Francimar Diaz is taking part in arranging and administrating the project. Together with the former percussion players in Simon Bolivar Orchestra they formed the Latin American Percussion Academy.

The Percussion Academy was the last of the El Sistema academies to be formed and has been very important in the development and progression of the percussive eduaction as well as broadening the repertoir for ensembles. Roger has been happy and grateful to have been able to share his knowledge and ideas during these years.


Now Roger is appointed as guest professor for three coming years. It is a great honour and of course he is looking forward to work for the Academy.

Back in Venezuela!

It´s been 4 long years of wondering if we ever would be able to come back to Venezuela. But here we are for the 11th International Percussion festival. This time in Caracas. Roger is appointed guest professor for three years to come.

Today focus is on the snaredrum.

It is wonderful to see all our friends again. And sad to understand the struggle they are going through. The money earned is not enough for living...