María Elena Tobón Opened Americas Society Season Featuring Members of the Youth Orchestra of Medellín

Conductor and Music Director of the Americas Society María Elena Tobón opened the Society's 2004-2005 season with a very special concert by members of the Youth Orchestra of Medellín, Colombia on Wednesday, October 6, 2004, at the Teatro Heckscher of El Museo del Barrio, in Manhattan, New York.

The 40 members of the Youth Orchestra of Medellín who performed wind and percussion players, ages 12-19. Works presented on the program include selections by Franz von Suppe, Antonin Dvorak, Gustav Holst, Blas Emilio Atehourtua and arrangements of jazz and Latin standards.

Founded and directed by Juan Guillermo Ocampo, after 7 years of existence the System of Music Schools and Youth Orchestras of Medellín has become the leading social and musical organization in Colombia. Realizing that education can be the single most important way to transform individuals and societies and adapting the Venezuelan model—a world leader in the field of youth orchestras—the program of youth orchestras in Medellín has transformed the lives of 3,000 children, offering a valuable alternative to life in the streets.

This program was part of the Americas Society's School Partnership Program, designed by Dr. David Wallace of the New York Philharmonic's education department. This programs links the Americas Society's season to each school's curriculum, and includes specifically developed materials, coordination with each school's principal, teachers, and staff, and two monthly visits by Americas Society associated artists.

María Elena Tobón has appeared in numerous recitals and concerts throughout Colombia, Ecuador, Europe and the U.S., both as conductor and flutist and is a renowned exponent of music education, having presented programs throughout the New York area with the Jupiter Symphony and the Queens Chamber Ensemble. She is a strong advocate for music by contemporary Latin American Composers and has presented many of these works in her capacity as Latin American Music Advisor to the Contemporary Music Festival in Florence, Italy and the Queens Symphony in New York. She is Founder and Music Director of the Simar Workshop/Festival of Colombia and New York City. She was a recipient of a Fulbright scholarship, and of the 1998 Colombian Award of Honor. Her website is at http://www.jamesarts.com/tobon/.