travel............................ 16
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olympics/film................ 18
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looking at our hemisphere from all directions
MUSIC
Cartagena International
Music Festival
Every January, over 20,000 music enthusiasts descend upon the picturesque coastal city of Carta- gena, Colombia, for the annual Cartagena International Music Festival (CIMF). Over the course of eight
days, renowned musicians from across the globe fill the
city’s plazas, churches and theaters with classical music.
It’s not just the Caribbean locale and classical music
that make this festival special.
The CIMF, founded three years ago by Italian-American harpist Victor Salvi and his wife, Julia, a
Colombia native and arts devotee, is dedicated to
introducing Colombians, especially young people, to
the masterpieces of classical composers.
“The [visiting] musicians are a model
for our young people, showing them
how far they can go,” says Sandra
Meluk, executive director of Fundación
Salvi Colombia, the festival’s founding
organization.
The CIMF’s motto—“Music Is For
Everyone”—underscores festival week.
Residents of the city’s low-income neighborhoods can attend free concerts, and
there are also master classes for nearly
400 young artists. But the festival also
serves as a catalyst for music education and performance through the year.
Forty students received music scholarships from the foundation in 2009, and
approximately 100 classes are offered to
the public year-round. Bogotá’s Monser-rate Quartet, featured in the 2009 festival’s “Young Talent Program,” performed
at Stanford University last June.
An aspiring
violinist
participates
in the
festival’s
outreach
program.
Visit www.americasquarterly.org/
cartagena-music to hear selections from
the 2009 festival, and for updated information on the January 9–16, 2010, festival.
AMERICASQUARTERLY.ORG
A free concert at the Plaza San Pedro Claver.
FALL 2009 Americas Quarterly 15
