The social commitment of Juan Diego Flórez

Whoever goes from west to east of Lima to get to the Fe y Alegría school on the Unanue passage in San Juan de Lurigancho has to cross the Rímac River; see and smell the scarce waters, eat a little traffic too. That’s how it was for this journalist and it surely is also for the hundreds of schoolchildren who study at the educational center, one of the nuclei of the NGO Sinfonía por el Perú, which in its 13 years of history has focused on providing children and adolescents with training in values, giving them a safe space and teaching them to use their talents to play classical music.

Last Thursday the Peruvian tenor Juan Diego Flórez, founder of Sinfonía por el Perú, visited the aforementioned school. That afternoon dozens of children from all over the city caught up with him, to pay tribute to the benefactor on his short visit to the capital, who also served as supervisor. Or rather, a benevolent spectator of the progress that minors have made after months of practice. Hours before the tenor’s arrival, El Comercio verified that the children, with winds and strings in their hands, with their voices in their throats, were rehearsing to give their all to their music.

“Expectations are very high, I am very happy to be here. There are several groups gathered here from all over Lima; [estoy] very happy, when I come I have this opportunity to see the progress of the centers, to meet the beneficiaries,” Juan Diego Flórez told El Comercio before witnessing the children’s recital. We weren’t supposed to ask the tenor anything, but this journalist did, without remorse.

Not everyone can enter the school for the presentation, as there is a guest list and space is limited. Even the mothers of some Sinfonía children stayed outside, wanting to see them, proud. The mothers with whom this newspaper spoke highlighted the discipline that their children acquired thanks to music. And the children had something to say too. “I sing with pride along with my classmates and I enjoy it a lot,” said Gianluca Rojas (11), a member of the choir. “I feel good [en Sinfonía]”Because at the same time I’m with my friends and colleagues, I’m learning more songs,” said Micaela Almeida (10), who also sings.

The tenor was welcomed by the Sicuris group from the Núcleo Rímac, after which the guest of honor was located in the first row of the arranged seats. Once the event had begun, the hundred-voice choir, the special education percussion ensemble and, of course, the symphony orchestra of the Núcleo San Juan de Lurigancho did their thing. And the repertoire? There was no shortage of “Hungarian Dance No. 5,” “Guantanamera” and “He’s a Pirate,” the main theme of the “Pirates of the Caribbean” saga.

Juan Diego Flórez appreciated everything attentive. “Thank you,” he said at the end, and the applause surrounded him like a pop star, “for the work you have done these days to achieve what you have given us; very well made music, with a lot of passion, with a lot of dedication, to the choir, to you [los invitados], to the orchestra. And I want to thank all our allies, our partners for being here with us. To the Sinfonía team, to the teachers, to everyone who has made it possible for this presentation to be as it has been, and this shows that together we can do very beautiful, very great things,” added the tenor. The usual photos followed, the smiles and more shouts and applause for him. Flórez did not sing this afternoon, but the influence of his voice is present.