Adventures in Cuzco: Concierto de Ensambles Grandes 22 de Diciembre 2012

What a fantastic way to finish out the semester! On Friday night we had the final concert which consisted of the ensambles for more advanced students. It started with the group of sikuris and then another group lead by Kike Pinto, Flor's ex-husband and former violin teacher at Qantu. They both sounded great. It was followed by the camerata de guitarras. They played a really nice rendition of Dust in the Wind with the help of two violin students, Io and Gabriela. We were put into the festive mood with a version of Silent Night played by a guitar student who's name I don't know, Maria, a cellist, and Angela on voice. It was cute and totally impromptu. Afterward the Camerata de cuerdas played a a Bartok and Piazzolla piece before the chorus and orchestra took the stage for the finale. It was super fun and the music is really enjoyable. Suzanne and I enjoyed trying to pronounce all the Quechua words right for some of the songs. The last song we played is called Za Za Za and it is a festejo which means it is super upbeat and really fun. Fil and Melissa played cajon and Suzanne and I danced. The kids didn't seem as enthusiastic about it though. Maybe it is because they have grown up with it. Either way I enjoyed myself a lot.

At the end of the concert Flor called Suzanne and me to the front and asked for an applause for all the work we did. It was extremely touching and brought both Suzanne and I to tears. It was a lot of love a and a very extended applause. I am forever grateful for all that Qantu has given me. I came to Cusco as an English teacher and I am leaving for Lima as a violin teacher. What a crazy cool thing to happen. Qantu will never be forgotten and I will definitely be visiting next year to check on my students!

Here are some pictures for you to enjoy. There are more under the Final Concerts album on the left side bar of this page.