Ending on a high note!

What a way to end our South American debut tour. The Theatre el Circulo is a stunning venue, the second most famous concert hall in Argentina. The house was full. I was told nearly 1500 people attended. We were part of a subscription series that included orchestras, choirs, opera productions from around the world. As expected, our kids played beautifully to a very appreciative and enthusiastic audience.

We are a tired group now but still basking in the glow of a week filled with amazing musical and cultural experiences.

Parents, you can be so very proud of your children. They were stellar ambassadors, fine representatives of their families, WYSO, Wisconsin, and the USA.

I couldn't have asked for a better group of young musicians and chaperones. They made this trip a resounding success in every way!  Thank you.

~Bridget Fraser

Executive Director

Food & Free Time

We woke early and ate breakfast in our last hours in Mar del Plata. We were to go back to Buenos Aires for another two days and play two concerts there. The bus ride was yet another lengthy 6 hours, and luckily, a time to take a nice, long nap and recover from yesterday’s late night dinner outing with friends. We loaded up the bus and drove about three hours before stopping for lunch at the same Minatauro rest stop we went to for lunch last time. Instead of settling for empanadas, I went to the Restaurant food court there to order a large salad—which I badly needed—and spaghetti. Using my last few minutes at Minatauro wisely, I bought myself some goodies—a jar of dulce de leche and some alfajores! It was then back on the bus for another 3 hours to Buenos Aires. The ride was short since I fell asleep on the bus again and we arrived to the same Hotel Presidente in no time.

We had about 3 hours of free time for lunch when we got to the hotel in Buenos Aires. Since this lunch was the last meal we could have on our own in Buenos Aires, my dad and Bill (who are both chaperones) and I went to La Chacra—a meat lovers paradise. We ended up ordering a huge platter filled with fire spit roasted barbecue beef ribs, beef flank, goat, suckling pig, ½ a chicken, chorizo, and pork sausage—which was intended for 3 people. I was actually surprised we finished it all without stuffing ourselves too much. We only had about 1 hour before we headed back to the hotel from lunch. There I rested a bit more before we had to head out for the tango show and dinner at La Ventana.

I was amazed at how fancy the restaurant was. We were seated at nice tables and we ordered very fancy courses. I ordered thinly sliced beef in a special sauce as an appetizer and continued on to grilled lamb with a seasoned potato side. The tasty meal was finished off with a special flan on a drizzled layer of dulce de leche. After the meal, the tango show started, and the dancers, singers and musicians were so good! Their fast-paced dance-like acrobatics left me in awe. What impressed me the most was the man who came out and twirled two balls on a long string in each hand. The show was magnificent in every way and it was definitely the highlight of my day.

~David Cao

Visiting Escuela 23 del Distrito Escolar

Wednesday morning, WYSO visited Escuela 23 del Distrito Escolar 19.  The elementary age students come from the most desperate of circumstances, many living in tin or cardboard shacks.  There were approximately 150 students and some family members that came to the concert.  The schools are on winter break but this was a special opportunity that many made a special visit to the school to hear the concert.  Mrs. Eckel spoke Spanish to the audience first asking if any had ever heard live orchestra.  Most had not.  Then she introduced each instrument and asked our kids to play a bit so the students could hear each individual sound.  We played Candide, a movement of the Milburn, movements 3 and 4 of Tchaikovsky and the Malambo.  Mr. Smith invited a young lady to conduct the Ginastera.  Also we wore our WYSO tshirts and Mr. Smith wore his Argentina jacket to conduct.  This was very well received.  


After the concert, there was a question and answer period and our WYSO members were able to talk with all the kids.  Then we all went out to the playground and played basketball and soccer with the kids.  The moms prepared sandwiches for us as well.  I have to say that this concert was a most moving experience for all of us.  It was definitely a highlight of this trip and we left feeling like we had really made a difference in their lives.  Andrea our concert organizer said that a couple of the kids came up to her after and expressed an interest in learning an instrument.  The director of the school requested that we send a WYSO t´shirt that they can frame and hang in the school.  The adults also took up a collection to purchase the school a boom box so they can listen to music.  

The entire WYSO organization and parents of these outstanding young WYSO members can be so proud of the transformative impact that we made on young lives by sharing our music.  It was an unforgettable morning that will never be forgotten.  

Traveling

What a full day! We woke up bright and early for a morning start at 9. We boarded the bus embarked on a short trip to visit Evita Peron´s grave. The graveyard has a system like buying property and building a mausoleum (it´s basically condos for rich or important dead people). The starting price for a mausoleum and land is $50,000 USD! Ay caramba!!!! After exploring the graveyard for 30 minutes, we hopped back onto the bus bound for Rosario. After a restful 5 hour bus ride, we finally arived in Rosario. Upon arrival, we settled into our rooms which have some nice hard wood floors, and after 1 hour of down time, we went on the walking tour to a monument of the flag of Argentina, a tall pillared structure with intricate statues, a big flame pit, and fancy lights. We had a great time taking fun pictures to remember the monument. We´re looking forward to tomorrow!

~Clare Virnoche and Iszie Tigges-Green