ABOUT THE FESTIVAL
The Festival de Música de Cámara de San Miguel de Allende, one of the most renowned in Mexico and Latin America, was founded in 1979 by a group of Mexicans and foreign residents with the idea of establishing a chamber music festival – based on the internationally famous festivals of Spoleto, Edinburgh and Marlboro – in their own city. The National Institution of Fine Arts (INBA) joined them with enthusiasm, and the Festival began with a single weekly concert by a well-known group – the Fine Arts Quartet was the first – which during the rest of the week gave advanced classes to young Mexican scholarship students who wanted to refine their musical skills. By 2007, fifteen concerts were given in the Teatro Ángela Peralta and other venues, by seven different musical groups. Ten of these concerts were sold out, making the 29th season of the Festival one of the most successful to date. Since our first season up to 2008, our thirtieth anniversary, 41 ensembles have performed – orchestras, quintets, quartets, trios and duos; 165 soloists have made their debut; five composers have premiered their works at the Festival; eight singers have performed – one soprano, two mezzosopranos, one tenor and one quartet, in addition to one dancer. Since 1989, many of the winners of the Irving M. Klein International String Competition (which takes place in June every year in San Francisco, California) have also debuted here.
The Festival’s essential “raison d’etre” is educational, and thus every year we have offered young, advanced-level students from all over Mexico the opportunity to attend and participate in workshops and master classes, which take place during the two weeks of concerts. These workshops and classes are given by the quartet-in-residence that participates annually in the Festival, as well as the performing groups. To date, more than 1,000 students have participated in our Student Program. In 2007, 183 hours of classes were given and quartet-in-residence, La Catrina String Quartet, received unanimously positive evaluations from the students. We are bringing La Catrina back to San Miguel de Allende for our 2008 season.
During thirty years of effort, hard work and dedication - all for the love of music - we have enjoyed world-class artists from three continents. What was only a dream in 1979, has been made reality by the Festival de Música de Cámara – it is now firmly established and is known as unique in its genre in Mexico, as well as important on an international level, and draws more than 7,000 attendees every year.
The Festival de Música de Cámara de San Miguel de Allende, one of the most renowned in Mexico and Latin America, was founded in 1979 by a group of Mexicans and foreign residents with the idea of establishing a chamber music festival – based on the internationally famous festivals of Spoleto, Edinburgh and Marlboro – in their own city. The National Institution of Fine Arts (INBA) joined them with enthusiasm, and the Festival began with a single weekly concert by a well-known group – the Fine Arts Quartet was the first – which during the rest of the week gave advanced classes to young Mexican scholarship students who wanted to refine their musical skills. By 2007, fifteen concerts were given in the Teatro Ángela Peralta and other venues, by seven different musical groups. Ten of these concerts were sold out, making the 29th season of the Festival one of the most successful to date. Since our first season up to 2008, our thirtieth anniversary, 41 ensembles have performed – orchestras, quintets, quartets, trios and duos; 165 soloists have made their debut; five composers have premiered their works at the Festival; eight singers have performed – one soprano, two mezzosopranos, one tenor and one quartet, in addition to one dancer. Since 1989, many of the winners of the Irving M. Klein International String Competition (which takes place in June every year in San Francisco, California) have also debuted here.
The Festival’s essential “raison d’etre” is educational, and thus every year we have offered young, advanced-level students from all over Mexico the opportunity to attend and participate in workshops and master classes, which take place during the two weeks of concerts. These workshops and classes are given by the quartet-in-residence that participates annually in the Festival, as well as the performing groups. To date, more than 1,000 students have participated in our Student Program. In 2007, 183 hours of classes were given and quartet-in-residence, La Catrina String Quartet, received unanimously positive evaluations from the students. We are bringing La Catrina back to San Miguel de Allende for our 2008 season.
During thirty years of effort, hard work and dedication - all for the love of music - we have enjoyed world-class artists from three continents. What was only a dream in 1979, has been made reality by the Festival de Música de Cámara – it is now firmly established and is known as unique in its genre in Mexico, as well as important on an international level, and draws more than 7,000 attendees every year.