National Seminario Ravinia: Orchestras For All

 
The Ensemble seeks to connect and inform all people who are committed to ensemble music education for youth empowerment and social change.
 
The Ensemble Newsletter

Regions

Africa

Asia/Oceania

Europe

Latin America

North America

Topics

Teaching & Learning

Program Design

Student Voice & Leadership

Community Building

Collaborations

Funding & Support

Perspectives & Collective Action

News & Resources

National Seminario Ravinia: Orchestras For All

Isaac Sinnett, Senior Associate Director, Ravinia Reach Teach Play

09-04-2024

Seminario performance. Photo: Patrick Gipson.

On the evening of July 10, the Ravinia Festival’s historic Pavilion stage glowed with the combined talents of the 130 students of National Seminario Ravinia. It was the final night of the 2024 Seminario, just in its second year. Students aged 11–18 from 43 El Sistema-inspired organizations around the world—including those from 17 U.S. states, Mexico, Canada, Greece, and Sweden—had gathered for four days of intensive orchestral training and mentorship from members of the Seminario Orchestra Partner, the National Orchestral Institute + Festival (NOI+F). For many of the students, it was their first time having such an experience. 

Marin Alsop conducting a Seminario performance. Photo: Patrick Gipson.

The evening showcased an electric and transformative final concert, with the feeling of excitement ringing true for everyone present, both on the stage and in the audience. For the first half of the concert, Seminario students played alongside their NOI+F mentors in a super-orchestra of 174 musicians, led by Marin Alsop and her protegé, Jessica Altarriba. The concert concluded with Maestra Alsop leading a breathtaking performance of Mahler 1 by the NOI+F Philharmonic as Seminario students cheered them on from the audience, seeing their own futures right in front of them onstage.

National Seminario Ravinia is known for bringing students together from across the world. Designed to fill a gap for students who may not yet be ready to audition into some of the outstanding more technically advanced festivals, the Seminario provides the opportunity to support, prepare, and inspire students as they advance to that next stop on their musical journey. To accomplish this, we rely

Jessica Altarriba conducting. Photo: Patrick Gipson.

on three main tenets: 1) a non-audition and collaborative nomination process, allowing each organization to send the students who would most benefit from participating in the Seminario; 2) mentorship, orchestral training, and side-by-side performance with renowned orchestras and conductors; and 3) leaning into the collective impact of partnerships. Ravinia partners with orchestras and educational institutions as well as with the participating organizations’ leadership and youth leaders, creating a robust network of support.

One of our partnerships this year was with El Sistema USA®, wherein eight student musicians were selected as youth leaders for the Seminario. Highlighting the importance of student voice, the youth leaders designed and led community-building activities for Seminario students throughout the week, including student focus groups, music listening parties, and a tour of Ravinia’s campus.

Seminario sectionals photos. Photo: Patrick Gipson.

By selecting and then empowering students through a non-audition process, the Seminario creates an environment that can change lives. Students receive training from their mentors, work with great conductors, perform on world-class stages, and create community with one another. They arrive as strangers and leave as friends, achieving musical excellence and understanding that they are part of a larger global network. They take the excellence and excitement they experienced at Ravinia back to their home programs to share it with others. José Luis Hernandez, Sistema Tulsa Executive Director, shared, “This is much more than a music festival or gathering of El Sistema-inspired musicians. It is a prime destination for youth to experience the true powers of music and how their diverse and important voices can shape the future of our art form.”

To see more of National Seminario Ravinia 2024 in action, check out this video on their YouTube page. 

Canada, El Sistema, El Sistema USA, Greece, Jessica Altarriba, Jose Luis Hernanzdez, Mahler 1, Marin Alsop, Mentorship, Mexico, National Orchestral Institute + Festival, National Seminario Ravinia, NOI+F, NOI+F Philharmonic, Orchestral Training, Ravinia Festival, September 2024, Sistema Tulsa, Sweden, Unites States

Related Content

Share

ABOUT US MASTHEAD THE AMBASSADORS THE ARCHIVES SUBSCRIBE CONTACT
© Copyright 2022 Ensemble News