“‘It will be a historic precedent: for the first time, a youth symphony orchestra from Argentina will travel to Japan’ – Pablo Boggiano”

sinfónica juvenil argentina

The National Youth Symphony Libertador San Martín will be conducted by Pablo Boggiano, alongside Maestro Mario Benzecry (the creator of this already historic institution), on their tour of Japan from August 24 to September 5. In a recent interview, Boggiano explains how this achievement was accomplished, largely thanks to the invaluable efforts of Japanese soprano Ayako Tanaka, who secured the support of some of Japan’s most important companies. He also discusses the program they will perform and reflects on the history of this Symphony, which has already reached its third decade.

By Virginia Chacon Dorr

What can I listen to while reading the interview? MusicaClasicaBA recommends:

“Upon arriving here, I had the first rehearsal with the orchestra and that’s when I realized why I’m doing all this” – Pablo Boggiano

– Tell us how you feel about the upcoming tour to Japan with the San Martín

– I am happy; everything that was organized by Japan was accomplished point by point: ticket purchases, accommodation, concert halls, publicity, coordination. I am aware of everything, and while I’m not coordinating, I am constantly consulted and act as a pivot. Now, from the Argentine side… ‘complex’ is a good word to define it; it’s a very exhausting process.

– And how do you keep going with so many ups and downs?

– Upon arriving, I had the first rehearsal with the Orchestra, and that’s when I realized why I’m doing all this. It has been a process with ups and downs. Recently, things have aligned, and since I’ve been here, I’ve seen a more positive movement in all senses.

The central focus is the kids, the central focus is culture. I am a juror at an international festival in Austria where youth orchestras from all over the world come, win awards… And the truth is that the Youth Orchestra we have has a very high level; it is a treasure. I say it at all rehearsals; these are not empty words to make them happy with me. I am fortunate that destiny allowed me to be in many places around the world, work with many symphonic and even youth organizations, and this is not common. I tell them this so that they appreciate the orchestra, have self-love, pride, and recognize it.

– What role do you think our conservatories play in this level of excellence?

– I really don’t know if the young people in the orchestra come from public or private backgrounds. I don’t know, but I do know they come from the most diverse areas of the suburbs: La Plata, La Matanza, Barrio 31, Florencio Varela. It is a very plural environment, where the predominant aspect is playing together and the sense of the orchestra.

– In this sense, what do you think are the key factors influencing the excellence of youth orchestras?

– Look, historically, the collapse of the recording industry has its pros and cons. Today, the Spotify experience can be compared to what it was in my youth to go out and buy a CD for 18 dollars, which was the price back then. That dynamic no longer exists. An 18-year-old has all the music they want for free on YouTube or any platform they are using; this allows people to study music much more advanced, as long as there is interest in learning. Worldwide, youth are joining symphonic organizations with a much higher level than before. On the other hand, the revolution of the National System of Youth and Children’s Orchestras and Choirs of Venezuela has multiplied globally. In Argentina, for example, today I hear about orchestral meetings in Chaco, Formosa, Patagonia…

– Horizons have expanded in every sense…

I believe that culture should be open to everyone. It’s like giving the possibility to choose between eating at a fast-food restaurant and one with healthy food. At some point, one values both equally, and people will end up choosing the healthier one because it’s tastier and better for their health. In culture, there is something of this as well; for me, music is not divided into academic or popular, but simply into good or bad. Today, there are many different ways to learn, and the level of excellence is constantly improving. People have the opportunity to self-educate (for example, through YouTube tutorials). I’m not just talking about musicians, but also the audience, which is more prepared and, therefore, enjoys the music differently.

There are aspects I cannot teach, which are in the DNA of a society and, therefore, its artists (…) It is indescribable; it only happens when you don’t have to force anything.” – Pablo Boggiano

– In this sense, today there is access to a variety of artistic expressions, other sounds, and other identities. How do you experience this?

– I have been arranging symphonic works of tango, mainly by Piazzolla and some by Quique Sinesi, for almost 20 years. I’ve conducted them in many countries: Ukraine, Romania, Bulgaria, Italy, Austria… There are aspects I cannot teach; they are in the DNA of a society and, therefore, its artists. And it was then that I said, “What an absolute marvel”: yesterday, rehearsing with the orchestra, particularly with the double basses, my eyes were shining with love. It is indescribable; it only happens when you don’t have to force anything.

– All of that is like being at home and getting a new boost, isn’t it?

– I am fully committed to helping the kids from La Juvenil. And, fortunately, I have recharged my batteries with all this, because it is very exhausting dealing with extramusical issues: talking on the phone with one, with another, filling out forms, being told “Well, but there’s a missing comma, this is missing, we should add…” But finally, the plane tickets for everyone have been signed, and several issues have progressed toward resolution.

– How do you think the visit to Japan will impact?

– I believe this is a very special opportunity that will have significant media impact. Thanks to the tireless work of Japanese soprano Ayako Tanaka, four of Japan’s most important companies committed to covering the airfare for the 86 kids. Why would they do that from the other side of the world? What’s the justification? They have a different conception of culture and a different sense of commitment.

“For the performances in Japan, everything will be in full swing, with a very high level of quality.” – Pablo Boggiano

– Tell me about how you chose the program for the tour.

– The program was 100% determined by Ayako. All our suggestions were considered, but she decided on the final version of the program. Ayako is a very active artist in Japan, listed in Newsweek Japan as one of the “100 most influential people,” and guided us on what she thinks works for the Japanese taste. That’s why we are going with Tchaikovsky’s Fifth Symphony, starting with something classical that Maestro Benzecry will conduct, and we also included tango works. The orchestra covers the great repertoire with authority and level, which allows us to measure its capacity. Additionally, we have a concert at the Kyoto stadium before, I believe, 10,000 school kids. The idea was to include attractive, joyful, and representative works of our culture.

– You also include a work by Esteban Benzecry, *Inti Raymi*.

– I have a long history of conducting this piece. I was at the world premiere in Paris. The composer wanted to withdraw it from the catalog until I performed it in Romania. On that occasion, I was not satisfied. I did it again with the National Symphony in 2011, and then performed it at the inauguration of a concert hall in Ukraine. I have studied it extensively. With the kids, I have enough time to work, prepare things well, and let them mature.

The piece represents a significant difficulty; it is a great challenge for any professional orchestra. Now we have two concerts in Buenos Aires and then rehearsals before performing again. For the presentations in Japan, everything will be in full swing, with a very high level of quality.

– And adding the difficulty of great “universal” works…

– The orchestra has included works by Brahms, Bruckner, and Mahler in its repertoire. They also performed *Petrushka* by Stravinsky with me, and *The Rite of Spring* with Maestro Benzecry! The orchestra constantly faces the challenge of the greatest repertoire works and always performs them with great authority.

– Ayako Tanaka is largely responsible for the tour. Besides being a great artist, she is your wife. How did you meet?

– We met in Vienna, where we performed together many times. When we got married, Benzecry gave us a wedding gift of a song cycle which we premiered with the National Symphony. Her first performance was at the CCK. She fell in love with the orchestra and was amazed by all aspects of Argentina: the dynamism, enthusiasm, and the ongoing struggle for artistic existence. She came up with the idea for the San Martín Orchestra’s tour, which she wanted to carry out around 2018-2019. She did a crowdfunding campaign and committed to carrying out this project. Then came the pandemic and the war in Russia, which greatly complicated this goal due to the increase in ticket prices. Finally, now we are facing a reality.

“The times we will manage with the Orchestra are completely respectful because there are no fierce commercial interests or manager pressures. Here, the cultural aspect prevails.” – Pablo Boggiano

– And it’s a way to raise the bar for the history of our orchestras too…

– Sometimes, analogies with football help. In the Argentine National Team, there is always that shadow of the past that drives the need to make a superior effort to win a World Cup. This will be something similar. It will be a historic precedent: for the first time, a youth symphony orchestra from Argentina will travel to Japan. The kids will share this experience, possibly with their grandchildren.

“Strength always comes from one place: love. Strength comes from the love for what one believes in, what one wants. There is no other source.” – Pablo Boggiano

– How do you think they will experience it?

– I have friends who are on tours with professional orchestras and have 14 concerts in 16 days of travel. That is grueling, exploitative. Our tour is completely different; we have rehearsal and rest periods, and the kids will truly have the chance to experience Japan. I’ve been on tours, traveled all over Austria, and all I saw was the hotel room and the hall where I sang.

On this trip, the times we will manage with the Orchestra are completely respectful because there are no fierce commercial interests or manager pressures. Here, the cultural aspect prevails, the goal is for the orchestra to arrive, perform the concerts, and have an echo.

– I don’t want to romanticize the difficulties or the painful setbacks that the Orchestra has faced in its history to solidify itself, but I want to ask you: where do you think its ability to adapt and survive comes from?

– Strength always comes from one place: love. Strength comes from the love for what one believes in, what one wants. There is no other source. I have been with the Orchestra for many years, moving from one rehearsal hall to another. I would arrive and clean up the vomit from the previous party because the hall was rented for other events. I had to get up from the podium playing the viola because the cellists arrived 45 minutes late; since they were very good, they arrived whenever they wanted. There was no control, there was never money. And since they were professionals, we were happy they came at any time.

The progress of the Orchestra was and is constant. Additionally, the audience is loyal. Let’s not forget that all professional orchestras, like the Symphony, the Estable, and others in Argentina, have former members of this Orchestra. All of them. Therefore, the “big” orchestras should also be concerned about protecting it: its future and existence also depend on the foundation of this Orchestra.

– Before we finish, what’s next on your agenda?

– I have a concert on August 3 at the Faculty of Law, August 8 at the CCK with Rachmaninov’s Piano Concerto No. 2, and part of the repertoire we will take to Japan. Upon returning from Japan, I will start preparing the tour with the Transylvania Philharmonic, where we will do a tour to the Musikverein in Vienna in November 2024 and then, in 2025, to the Berlin Philharmonic. In November, I will also conduct the Vienna Ball in Romania, a tradition I have been doing for years. I will return to Vienna for Mozart’s Requiem in December and then back to Romania for New Year’s concerts. I will return to Vienna to prepare rehearsals with the Academic Orchestra, with which Zubin Mehta worked for many years. Subsequently, I will return to Romania, where I will have a lot of activity. I will make my debut in March with the Göttingen Symphony in Germany and will go to Italy with Alejandro Carreño and Ismael Campos to perform Mozart’s Sinfonia Concertante.

For the Transylvania Philharmonic tour to Vienna, a number of important businesspeople have come together. Culture has that immense ability to unite people: think that musicians on a stage can have very diverse ideas, just like the audience, but they are united in a wonderful act. The bridge between culture and financial support that I’ve seen in Romania is something I also dream of for Argentina. I hope it develops at some point. As an Argentine, bringing the Transylvania Philharmonic to the Musikverein in Vienna fills me with pride and responsibility. In addition to performing Romanian music, such as Enescu’s Romanian Dances and Béla Bartók’s Concerto for Orchestra, I also seek to include music by Astor Piazzolla to leave a personal mark. Along with the orchestra, we have been doing that work and I always try to incorporate Argentine music, which I consider very valuable.

– And vacations?

– I heard that word is very nice… (laughs)

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