Camerata José White, an everlasting commitment to good music in Matanzas .
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The José White Camerata remains active thanks to the commitment and dedication of its members, their desire to make music, the existence of a wide and diverse audience in generations and interests and the persistence of Bienvenido, at the forefront of musical training, in the midst of a particularly complex context.
On March 12th, 2018, a musical formation was born in Matanzas whose essence is to reinterpret and provide new harmonies from his personal stamp to themes of Cuban and Latin American authors.«The emergence of the José White Camerata is closely linked to the Professional School of Music of Intermediate Level, in Matanzas, where I have been a teacher for many years.
«In 2017 I had the initiative to do as a final course work a concert of Baroque music with the string students of the subjects History of Bowed Instruments and Chamber Music, which I teach in addition to violin.
«In that concert we felt very good playing, the students enjoyed it very much. In September most of them were starting to work in the MatanzasSymphony Orchestra and they called me to continue meeting and making music.
«Little by little other teachers from the school, members of the Symphony Orchestra joined and the orchestra grew. It was established as a professional orchestra in commemoration of the centenary of the death of the illustrious violinist, composer and teacher José White Laffitafrom Matanzas , a leading figure of the violin work in Cuba’s Athens in the second half of the 19th century, one of the greatest musicians our country has ever had», explains Bienvenido Quintana Falcón, director of the José White Camerata.
See also: http://www.uneac.org.cu/secciones/jose-marti-y-jose-white/
Anthological works and contemporary compositions make up the repertoire of the orchestra, created in the good shadow of the Art School of Matanzas and composed mainly by young people.
«The repertoire of the Camerata is very diverse. We interpret works of the great composers of the stylistic periods for this format or versions for string orchestra up to the most current of Cuban music such as danzones and sones. I have proposed to include more Cuban concert music.
«I think it is an achievement of the training the management and dissemination of the repertoire for this format of Cuban and Latin American composers, fundamentally.
«For example, during the closing concerts of the Invierno Barrocofestivals in 2019 and 2020, we premiered the suite Entre dos aguas and Las estaciones matanceras, two works by Alejandro Falcón, composed for our ensemble.
«In addition, we have premiered works by Chilean, Brazilian, Colombian, Peruvian and other Cuban composers with important pieces in the current repertoire. It is a constant concern to discover young people who write musical themes for this group».
The Camerata José White remains active thanks to the commitment, the efforts and dedication of its members, their desire to make music, the existence of a wide and diverse audience in terms of generations and interests, and the persistence of Bienvenido, at the head of the musical formation, in the midst of a particularly complex context.
«The challenges are many. Today, maintaining an artistic group is very difficult. The exodus, especially but not only, of young people is a great challenge that has affected all sectors and spheres of the country, including art.
«Since the orchestra was founded, young people have left in search of other paths, possibilities, projections, some leave for work contracts; however, I think it has been a school for them because they learn during the time they stay. We are renewing with other young people and that’s how our work is going, we have no other option.
«Not everything has been bad. We were able to renew the repertoire because we were able to include an excellent harpist from Matanzas who studied in Spain, and in any country in the world it is a luxury for a string orchestra to have a harp. This has been a great motivation for me.
Offering lovers of good music excellent interpretations executed with talent and love for the art is the highest commitment of the orchestra.
«The most important achievement in my opinion is that with the José White Camerata the public of Matanzas has another option to listen to good music of different styles and genres. In general, when we perform in different venues in the province, we receive a large number of audiences.
«We have had the opportunity to work in other municipalities such as Colón and Cárdenas and, within the possibilities, we would like to continue those presentations outside the provincial capital and in other territories. It has been very satisfying how they receive us and ask us to come».
Among the band’s most recent works is the concert Por quien merece amor (For those who deserve love), together with Matanzas-born Alfonso Llorens, dedicated to the music of Pablo Milanés and Silvio Rodríguez.
Defending the legacy of one of Cuba’s most relevant musicians, the eminent violinist José White, who took Cuban art to the most important stages in America and Europe during the 19th and early 20th centuries, is the main motivation of the members of this musical group.
An exquisite repertoire, demanding and well achieved interpretations, a perfect coupling of instruments, which allows the enjoyment of individual talents while enhancing the joint performance and a noticeable family complicity among its members, make the Camerata José White a proposal of high musical and artistic quality.
Written by Jessica Mesa.
