Baroque Music Festival in Chiquitos Misisons, Bolivia: April 26th – May 6th, 2012

Aracari’s Weekly Insight

The Question:

Where in Bolivia is a Baroque Music Festival held every two years?

The Answer:

Every two years there is a Baroque Music Festival held at the Jesuit Missions of Chiquitos in south eastern Bolivia. The festival is a fantastic way to experience the diverse and multilingual culture of the region, with the recital of the works of a variety of classic composers such as Vivaldi, Handel, Bach and Purcell (to name but a few) as well as original compositions by local people in a remote part of the Bolivian rainforest.

The festival was first conceived of after several thousand original sheets of music dating from the 17th and 18th centuries were discovered in the 1970’s during the restoration of the six missions churches at Chiquitos and Moxos. Composed by both European and indigenous composers alike, the works embodied a precious cultural treasure, evidence of the dedication to musical tradition in these fabulously adorned mission churches. The missions were subsequently recognised by UNESCO as “monuments of the cultural heritage of mankind” in 1990.

The idea behind the Baroque Music Festival is to preserve and promote the unique musical tradition of this part of Bolivia. Local people have had an outstanding ability to assimilate complex European musical instruments and scores, showcasing a unique musical revival taking place in one of the world’s least developed regions. And the fascinating concept of live classical music being played in this beautiful and diverse tract of nature is a joyous and glorious occasion, a real treat for those travellers who make the effort to attend.

2012’s festival, the ninth edition, will take place between the 26th of April and the 6th of May. Anybody interested in visiting should contact us to plan their itinerary, as Bolivia Travel Specialists we can not only take you to Santa Cruz in comfort and style but combine your visit with other attractions such as Lake Titicaca and the spectacular Salar de Uyuni salt flats.

 

Related Post
Greenpeace Displays Environmental Message Near Nazca Lines Peru Coinciding with the  UN Climate Change Conference (COP20) in Lima, the awareness tactics of the environmental group Greenpeace could have been seen as...
Astrid y Gastón: One of the Best Restaurants in Lima Peru Lima, Peru is often referred to as the culinary capital of Latin America thanks to its selection of the top restaurants in the region, and three of th...
The Best of Lima’s Historic Centre Lima, the capital of Peru, was once just a layover for hot-footed tourists on the way to Cuzco and a Machu Picchu luxury trip. Not anymore. You wouldn...
The Festival of Cusco Festivals: Corpus Christi Corpus Christi Festival in Cusco  The Corpus Christi Festival is Cusco's most important religious procession. The oldest religious festival in the Am...
Presidential Class: A Private Journey to Machu Picchu with Inca Rail, ... Last week I was lucky enough to be invited aboard Inca Rail’s top-of-the-line Presidential Class (previously called the Inca Princess) carriage for a ...
The Best Kuelap Hotels: Our Top Picks Known as the 'Machu Picchu of the North', Kuelap is the largest ancient stone structure in South America. Here we provide our roundup of the best Kuel...