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Tegucigalpa (Alejandro Garcia) – Playing the hymn of Our Lady of Suyapa must be common for any Honduran musician, but performing it in the presence of Pope Francis in the Vatican itself is one of the greatest experiences, and this is made possible by the San Pedro Sula Philharmonic Orchestra, an institution that promotes classical music in the heart of Honduras’ industrial heartland.
– The biggest challenge the group faces is dealing with state licensing.
– They have no government support and must produce and manage their own resources.
During their European tour from November 11 to 17, 2023, members of the SPS Philharmonic Orchestra will have the opportunity to be received by Pope Francis in the Vatican.
“One of the wishes of the Philharmonia musicians was to be able to establish an academic institute in Europe,” said Oscar Barahona, the orchestra’s director, in a conversation with the Philharmonia. Digital processes.
The event took place on November 15, when they were invited by the Pope to attend a public audience in Plaza San Pedro and had the opportunity to perform a two-minute hymn to Our Lady of Suyapa.
This is the first time that a professional Honduran orchestra has given a concert on the European continent, specifically at the headquarters of the Catholic Church.
“Through the invitation of the Honduran Embassy in Rome and the Holy See, as well as the sponsorship of some companies and friends, we made this dream come true,” Barahona said, recalling this fact.
He described the moment of playing in front of the world’s most important religious figures as something unexpected and exciting, which gave them a sense of satisfaction they had never thought possible in their lives.
Barahona said that when he performed in Plaza San Pedro, the person in charge of the audience told him that there could be no singers in the band so as not to give the impression that he was advertising for someone.
In this sense, the orchestra’s director asked the pope if he could hire a singer to perform the hymn to Our Lady of Suyapa, one of the greatest figures of Honduran Catholicism.
The Pope replied that he could do that and sing the songs the Philharmonic wanted to play.
Barahona recalled that the person who sang the hymn for Our Lady of Suyapa was a Honduran soprano named Mónica del Cid who lived in New York.
Barahona said that after the performance of the hymn to Our Lady of Suyapa, Pope Francis personally called them to greet the orchestra and expressed his joy and happiness over their performance.
“He told me personally that we were a great band and that he was happy to have us,” he recalled.
In addition to the performance before Pope Francis, the SPS Philharmonic Orchestra performed three more times in Europe, two in Spain (one in Alicante and one in Murcia) and the third in the Basilica of Sant’Andrea della Valle in Rome, Italy.
“Till today, we have not received any calls from government officials to congratulate us and we do not expect to receive any, but this does not absolve us from the responsibility of making people aware of the good things in this country,” he said.
adversity
Barahona said the orchestra holds its own concerts locally and is responsible for organizing, advertising, ticket sales and finding sponsors.
Likewise, he admitted that his main problem was obtaining permits from the mayor of San Pedro Sula and different state agencies.
Barahona mentioned that the law against artists was not designed on a cultural level, suggesting that they must pay the SPS municipality the same price as production companies that bring in pop singers like Bad Bunny for concerts.
“For us, on a financial level, we are struggling with this situation, the licensing process from the government and the Special Administrative Region costs 20 to 25,000 lempiras,” he lamented.
“The type of music we provide is not entertainment, but cultural growth, which falls into the category of education. We should not encounter these problems,” said the orchestra’s conductor.
He also explained that another difficulty is that if they hold 10 concerts in the same place, they have to pay for 10 licenses for places that have already been inspected and have the same service.
He disclosed that when concerts are held at theatres, the SPS municipality charges them rubbish and landfill fees and the public attending concerts do not throw their rubbish on the floor.
He charged that our biggest concern was not whether the concert went on smoothly, ticket sales or whether the musicians rehearsed, but the licenses issued by the state.
On the other hand, the orchestra conductor also admitted that it is easier to perform in Europe than in Central America because there are no spaces and not many opportunities to appreciate classical music. However, he stressed that Europeans have a different way of thinking because they understand the value of art.
He announced that this September he will give a concert in the city of Santa Rosa de Copan with the support of Russian violinists, and in December he will perform at the Manuel Bonilla Theater in Tegucigalpa.
future
As for the future, Barahona confirmed that the SPS Philharmonic Orchestra will tour Europe again next year, from May 15 to 30.
They will give three concerts, one in Paris and two in Italy (Rome and the Vatican).
Barahona revealed that the SPS Philharmonic Orchestra was invited to participate in the Catholic Church Jubilee, a Catholic celebration held every 25 years in Rome.
He explained that the orchestra will then give a concert in front of 60,000 spectators together with 18 musicians living in Europe and three Honduran soloists.
At the local level, the SPS Philharmonic Orchestra will give 10 concerts in 2025: three in San Pedro Sula, one in Santa Rosa de Copan, one in Tegucigalpa, one in La Ceiba, one in Choluteca, one in Siguatepeque and the rest in San Pedro Sula. Sponsor.
Also considering the possibility of holding concerts in Guatemala and El Salvador in 2026.
Musicians not meeting financial goals
On the other hand, the Philharmonic director admits that being a musician committed to the Honduran classical branch is difficult, since in most cases it does not reach financial goals.
He said musicians must rely on instructional classes to meet their needs and reach their financial goals.
Barahona explains that in San Pedro Sula, musicians have evolved, the members of the Philharmonic Orchestra are electrical engineers, chemists, marketers and dentists, and that although they graduated from music schools, their financial sector must be oriented to ethnicity.
The annual budget of an orchestra in Central America is 60 million lempiras, which rises to 80 million when each musician goes home to rehearse for 4 hours at 50,000 lempiras, then takes private lessons or goes to university; but he analyzes that this does not happen in Honduras because there is no formal and extensive budget to meet financial or salary needs.
Public Access
“Here we have bad impressions, customs and ideas that art should be free, you should give free concerts and we answer you sponsor us or pay your energy bill,” he said.
He noted that for a classical music concert to be profitable, tickets must be sold for 1,500 lempiras, a price that many people criticize.
The director of the SPS Philharmonic Orchestra commented, Our desire is to grow and influence more people.
Finally, he advised those who want to pursue a career in professional music to emphasize their personal well-being in order to serve their country.
“My advice to my students is that they can emigrate from this country because in the United States and Europe, they can get another level of opportunities,” he advised.
He even revealed that his children were studying music, and he suggested that they go to study and live in those parts of Europe, and return home only to hold concerts, workshops or lectures for young people.
history
The SPS Philharmonic Orchestra was founded in 2017 with 12 professional musicians, but now has 22 to 30 members.
The ensemble was formed to fill the gap left by the SPS Chamber Orchestra, which ceased to exist professionally in 2011.
Barahona pointed out that to join the SPS Philharmonic Orchestra, performers are required to graduate from a music school, have a good level, be responsible, be punctual, learn the assigned parts and behave well.
He said the orchestra is a private entity that does not receive government funding and is responsible for financing concerts performed locally.
The SPS Philharmonic Orchestra was able to perform in the industrial city because, its conductor said, it was easier to perform in Europe than in Central America because people appreciated classical music more.
Honduras currently has only two philharmonic orchestras, one in San Pedro Sula and the other in Tegucigalpa.
Oscar David Barahona, director of the SPS Philharmonic Orchestra, has an illustrious resume, having won the Balkan Orchestra Conducting Competition and became the first Central American to conduct at the Auditorium Nacional in Madrid. silver
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