Culture and Art

Orchestra

39 permanent musicians make up the University Orchestra that was founded in 1982. Thousands of people have marveled at the perfection of their interpretations during the season of performances at the Aula Magna of the university. The orchestra has offered outreach concerts at the Gabriela Mistral Cultural Center (GAM), in the context of a collaboration agreement with this center. It has also performed at the Gala of the Fiesta Barrio Yungay (Yungay Neighborhood Festival) 2015 and at the Basilica de la Merced, in Santiago. In November 2014, the orchestra performed in the concert “Romeo and Juliet”, by the composer Serguéi Prokófiev, produced by Fundación Teatro a Mil (FITAM), at the Croata Park, in Antofagasta, and at the Inés de Suárez Park, in Providencia, Santiago. It has also participated in massive events together with renowned international musicians, like the composer Ennio Morricone and the singer Andrea Bocelli.

Besides, the orchestra offers six educational concerts during the year, attended by more than 2,000 students of the Metropolitan Region and the VI Region. These activities are co-funded by the Fund for the Arts Development in Education 2015 of the National Council of Culture and the Arts (CNCA).

 

 

Syntagma Musicum

One of the most outstanding baroque music groups of the continent, it was created in 1978. It consists of six musicians specialized in historical instruments of the 16th and 17th centuries. This group conducted by Franco Bonino has performed at the University and other places with great acceptance by general and specialized audiences. Syntagma Musicum has organized the X, XI and XII versions of the International Festival of Ancient Music at Universidad de Santiago through a project co-funded by the Music Fund 2015 of the National Council of Culture and the Arts (CNCA).

 

Choirs

The choirs, under the names "Madrigalista" and "Coro Universidad de Santiago ", have become an essential example in the world of music and bel canto. The Madrigalista choir, created in 1980, is made up of 12 professional singers and is conducted by Rodrigo Díaz. The Universidad de Santiago choir was founded in 1956 and is currently conducted by Santiago Marin. It has 50 voices, including students and professional singers. They have participated in the International Choral Festival of Guayaquil, Ecuador, in October, 2014; the International Choral of Los Andes, November, 2014; and the International Choral Meeting at Huilo Huilo, Chile, in May 2015. Besides, they collaborate in the Misa Andina Project together with the Barroco Andino group, through itinerant presentations in three regions of the country.

 

 

The Concert Season of Universidad de Santiago (26 performances from March through December) is the only free concert series at the Metropolitan Region. The concerts are held at the Aula Magna of the university and the attendance usually averages 500 people per concert. Some of these performances have been recorded and directly transmitted via streaming, and then, they are broadcast on the radio, thanks to a project co-funded by the Music Fund 2015 of the National Council of Culture and the Arts (CNCA).