La Celebración del Aniversario del Coro Mundial de Jóvenes
(21 – 25 octubre de 2009, Örebro, Suecia)
Vladimir Opačić
“No hay mayor tarea que la de apoyar a alguien durante su desarrollo; ayudar al ser humano en su lucha”
Ivo Andrić, Premio Nobel
De Señales a un lado del camino
El Coro Mundial de Jóvenes es una genuina experiencia social y educativa que se escribe en mucha tradiciones vocales y que apunta a trabajar al más alto nivel artístico. Durante ya 20 años, el coro Mundial de Jóvenes ha construido puentes entre jóvenes cantantes provenientes de diversas culturas. Muchos artículos y reportes han sido escritos acerca de este proyecto, muchas historias han sido contadas y muchos videos y grabaciones sean hecho durante estas dos décadas. Todas las anteriores cuentan la filosofía del ensamble, y documentan su valor en el mundo coral desde un punto de vista artístico, social y humano.
La pregunta es siempre el cómo presentar los diferentes proyectos y eventos que este coro enmarca. También, el cómo presentar su papel actual. Entonces, ¿Cómo debería describirse a este “bebe” que nació en 1989? Surgió de los esfuerzos de un grupo de entusiastas por la música coral, quienes estaban liderados por las ideas de igualdad y una conquista histórica de la diversidad cultural. Esta diversidad es la paz que se encuentra en lo más profundo de nuestras almas. Es un legado interno que no es concedido en el momento que nacemos y que debe ser experimentado durante nuestras cortas vidas como una especie de balance personal que se establece entre nuestro ser interno y externo. La diversidad en este sentido es un “terreno” habitado por el Coro Mundial de Jóvenes desde hace 20 años. Es allí donde hemos “vivido” durante este tiempo, y quien ha ayudado a más de 1000 jóvenes alrededor del mundo a subsistir. Más de 1000 cantantes, directores, organizadores y fanáticos de la música coral han trabajado dentro de sus “fronteras”.
Este es el Coro Mundial de Jóvenes al terminar estas dos décadas, nuestros sueños, trabajo duro, fe constante, profesionalismo artístico y un enorme entusiasmo por una idea extraordinaria. Es nuestras vidas antes del sueño, y ¡permanece en nuestras vidas mientras continuamos soñando!
El Coro Mundial de Jóvenes ha sido el punto de encuentro para cantantes jóvenes de alrededor del mundo y muchos individuos han sido parte de él dejando una huella indeleble en el ensamble, impregnándolo de su talento único, personalidad, calidez y humor. Del 18 al 25 de octubre de 2009, por primera vez en la historia del Coro, más de 200 ex miembros del coro, directores y organizadores de alrededor del planeta se reunieron con el fin de celebrar el cumpleaños del coro. Fue una verdadera celebración de cumpleaños, simple en su grandeza y el mejor regalo posible para el Coro Mundial de Jóvenes.
“Feliz Cumpleaños Coro Mundial”, ¡esto se dijo tantas veces!
“ Feliz cumpleaños a todos” se decían los unos a los otros.
Una frase tan simple, tan inocente pero que al mismo tiempo hacía revivir tantas memorias en todos nosotros. Cantando, riendo, echamos un vistazo a una fotografía borrosa de los 80’s. Mirábamos a los cantantes y sus familias, niños pequeños corriendo por todos lados, gente abrazándose los unos a los otros y recordando esto y aquello. A eso hay que sumarle a los directores y sus historias además de los momentos emotivos cuando se abordaba la calidad de la presentación. ¿te acuerdas de fulano?… ¿ recuerdas a fulana?. Y así continuamos en esta dinámica durante 10 dias con sus noches. Una verdadera colmena de actividad. Es así como empezó la celebración, gracias a la colaboración del centro Internacional para la Música Coral y el Centro Coral Internacional Sueco en Örebro quienes junto con los patrones del Coro Mundial De Jóvenes La Federación Internacional para la Música Coral (FIMC), Juventudes Musicales Internacional (JMI) y Europa Cantat (EC) se enorgullecieron de presentar una semana de celebraciones en Sucia, el primer país en la historia del Coro que organizó una sesión.
Los protagonistas de los conciertos fueron los siguientes:
- Coro mundial de Cámara: Un ensamble reunido especialmente para el Aniversario que consta de cantantes procedentes de 22 países, acompañados de la Orquesta de Cámara Sueca, con Nikolaj Znaider como director interpretando dos obras de Johannes Brahms
- El mundo canta para ti : Una vitrina internacional para cantantes actuales y antiguos del Coro Mundial de Jóvenes, cantantes solsitas, instrumentistas y grupos vocales: Kaori Tsushima de Japón; “trio de Jazz” presentando a David Izard en el piano, Ryan Andrews en las percusiones y Zachary Lane en el Bajo, todos de los Estados Unidos; la soprano Noruega Hildegunn Coucheron; el grupo vocal de Japón “Cherry Blossoms”, el grupo vocal Checo “VOXTET”, fundado por el antiguo miembro del Coro Martin Mikes, la cantante, poianista y acordionista francesa Fabiene Carler acompañada por el violinista Radoslaw Pawel Stawarz y el ensamble de jazz vocal belga Witloof Bay.
- Conciertos de Gala con motivo del Aniversario: Reuniendo a más de 200 cantantes de 45 países dirigidos por Maria Guinand, Venezuela; Nobuaki Tanaka, Japón; Fred Sjöberg, Suecia; Sidumo Jacobs, Sudáfrica y Steve Zegree EE.UU, interpretando la música de 5 continentes con sus respectivas tradiciones. El mundo en escena.
Quien quiera que hubiese estado con nosotros en Örebro habría sentido la felicidad de este encuentro que fue posible gracias a varias generaciones de cantantes desde 1989 hasta 2009. Ellos hicieron un enorme esfuerzo para construir un grupo internacional único con unas increíbles habilidades comunicativas y musicales, gente tan diferente en su sonido, en sus vidas y en sus mentes, pero a la vez tan similar cuando sus expresiones y sus emociones musicales y humanas fueron las protagonistas de la escena.
Si usted no estuvo con nosotros, no hay mejor manera de sentir y escuchar la dimensión del impacto de este proyecto y su aniversario que las líneas escritas por los fundadores, organizadores y cantantes de esa primera sesión de 1989. (Más de 20 cantantes de la primera sesión de verano estuvieron presentes) . Esta fue la cara del Coro Mundial de Jóvenes debido a que los humanos exhibieron una cierta simplicidad que se sintió en cada esquina del planeta.
El aniversario de 2009 será un hito más que apuntalará al Coro Mundial para sus generaciones futuras y es una inversión para todos nosotros para los 20 años que están por venir.
“Unidad global y esperanza para el Futuro”
Facebook: Comentarios de algún “antiguos” del Coro Mundial de los Jóvenes
“Dear friends! The World Youth Choir was once a dream and a vision shared by many in a time where it was extremely difficult for many countries all over the world. In this year of 2009, we have celebrated two strong and symbolic events that took place in 1989 – the realization of the dream World Youth Choir and the breaking down of the wall symbolizing the Iron curtain. For Stefan Sköld and myself who poured our hearts in the process with the ground work, it was a dream come true to help out in the birth process of this wonderful vision – to unite young souls and voices from all over the world. We are today grateful for the wonderful work that IFCM, Europa Cantat and Jeunesses Musicales together have done bringing this child up to what it represents today – the very sound and strong sounding symbol for the ideology that music is all about humanity! It means the world to us! We hope that all the children of the vision with World Youth Choir will adopt that vision and relentlessly work for humanity with music as the instrument – thus we can make a difference! Meeting all wonderful singers from WYC – and particularly from the very first WYC in Örebro – made a great impact on me. You all reminded me of the beauty of humanity and music in perfect harmony. Let’s hope for another reunion very soon! Thank you! I would like to finish with two verses from a poem sent to us in 1989 after the first assembly of the World Youth Choir by Alec Jackson – our wonderful English tenor.”
United, we rise
A melody
A lyric of greatest depth
The most beautiful song
We are the hope
We are the unity
We have the love
We are the new seeds in the heart of our countries
We will last forever
Stefan Sköld, Thomas Caplin,
Founders of the World Youth Choir
“What an emotion in Örebro… so many faces I hadn’t seen for 20 years… and how strong the friendship and network has remained! I was far from imagining how the project would develop when I decided in 1990 to take over the management of World Youth Choir, a project that Jeunesses Musicales Sweden had started in 1989. I am very proud of the work accomplished and I am also very moved by the real worldwide network the World Youth Choir has created among young very talented singers. I wish that the project will continue for the next 20 years to be a place for high–level music education, intercultural exchange, global unity and factor of arts development. May the alumni of the 20 past years, together with the patrons help to contribute to those goals and aims. Long life to the World Youth Choir!”
Jean-Claude Wilkens, Belgium
Founder and the manager of the World Youth Choir, 1990-1999
“I’m a system administrator with an engineering company in Germany. In Örebro I had the chance to escape my nutshell and share my voice with friends from all over the world, which I had last seen 20 years ago. Singing in this choir on that high level is amazing. Feelings – overwhelming. These are the real big moments of my live, I’ll never forget. It feels like another world. A world of unity and freedom, nations joined. These projects and celebrations must continue for the next generations. Give all singers the chance to unite the world.”
Christoph Jandek, Germany
World Youth Choir 1989
“For me this meeting was one of the greatest events in my life. I never have been crying so many tears of joy in my entire life. It maybe was not just the choir. I sometimes did have some emotionally very hard times in the last 15 years with lots of changes and crises, especially in the last year. So, probably it was a mixture of emotions that came over me and it often overwhelmed me. Nevertheless now something came up again that had completely occupied my heart 20 years ago. And on the one side there was this paradise-like atmosphere. I felt this optimistic and idealistic power of youth again. On the other side I met so many new singers and realized that I’m not that young anymore. But nevertheless: the fantastic thing was, that we sang together. It wasn`t just a meeting with stories of old times. It was a meeting to continue in what we have done before: sing on an extraordinary good level and meet lovely people from all over the world. That is fantastic and it has to go on! It can help to build up a network of former singers who may support the organization and performance of the WYC sessions all over the world and keep the idea of the World Youth Choir running!”
Heiner Geerlings, Germany, World Youth Choir 1989
Music teacher, secondary school Otto- Hahn- Schule for children of 50 different nationalities, Frankfurt, Germany
“The World Youth Choir is still The World Youth Choir, 20 years later! – With its professional sound made in peace and harmony, from young people around the world. A joy to see, for a former participant, that the choir is in its good shape, as it was when it started in 1989. This also means, the management behind is doing its job to make this choir alive. The world needs this choir! Not only for the music aspect, but to show the world and the young singers themselves, that its possible to come together in this way, though there are conflicts and maybe even war between the countries the young singers come from. Creating music makes peace between humans and in us. So it’s even a greater joy to see that the WYC has become UNESCO Ambassadors for Peace. Many of us former singers had been waiting for this reunion, simply because, the very beginning of the World Youth Choir was such a great experience in our lives, when we were young singers. Coming together in this way, with people you don’t know anything about, to make wonderful music, travel the world and share social time, is THE BEST thing you can ever do in your life. You feel FREE! I joined for the World Youth Choir for 5 summers, from 1989 till 1993. For me, coming from a small island in the North of Norway, it made a huge impact on my life. I’m now a professional singer, do I need to say more? Of course the WYC fulfilled its purpose in my choice of career. I’m also helping young singers to develop as a singer, and that gives me great pleasure. It was so good to see my old friends again. We decided, 20 years later, that it would not be 20 years till next time. It will actually probably happen already next year. Maybe the world needs another choir? – With old World Youth Choir singers? – Who knows, only the future will tell? But for sure, “we’ll meet again, don’t know where, and don’t know when…!”
Hildegunn Coucheron, Norway
World Youth Choir 1989
“To reunite with those I first met 20 years ago was like coming home to the place where you have the happiest early memories. I couldn’t help but feel like we were just picking up from where we left off 19 or so years ago. It was also wonderful to sing with the group which continues to provide high quality training and development for singers from around the world. Still I felt a little melancholy that so many of our old friends still didn’t manage to make it. One of the most wonderful aspects was finding and chatting with our friends before the event started. I think that had emails existed when the choir began in 1989 we would all have been in contact much earlier. Since the event I have managed to contact about 50 former members who hadn’t managed to attend and we are trying to set up another reunion next year. The anniversary project really re-kick-started my love for these people and the WYC as a melting pot for international talent and choral coaching. Now the event is over I feel the same I did 19 years ago when I couldn’t attend any more WYC meetings and that is great loss and a feeling that this must never end; and it must not end. 20 years ago we didn’t know where the project would go, or where it would end up. Possible the best thing that happened was the cough and splutter of the first year, thankfully someone took up the project and breathed new life into the project and kept it alive. Regardless though, everyone who has had a hand in this project over the last 20 years has helped to create an institution of world cooperation and creativity. Not many international projects can claim that when they get together they speak with one voice. The WYC and the people I have met through the project will remain close friends for the rest of my life and hopefully we will all help to enrich our world through these wonderful experiences.”
Alec Jackson, United Kingdom
World Youth Choir 1989
“Music and singing is my whole life, but my profession is businessman, entrepreneur and manager, so my point of view will be a little bit different than opinions of active and professional musicians. As at the beginning in 1989, the quality of a choir, conductors and chosen musical substance, is at an excellent level. The main vision of World Youth Choir /global unity and future hope/ and its social aspect is equally important, beautiful and courageous, as it was 20 years ago. World Youth Choir ’89 was an amazing experience of freedom, which is written in my memory for the rest of my life. For me, the WYC 20th Anniversary was a proof that in case of friendship time is not important. And in case of good music time has no role. The opportunity given to all musicians from 45 countries all around the world, which can communicate and be together for one week, is a wonderful experience for their further professional life. The fact, than in this way all musicians from 45 countries can communicate, including the fact that there is a generation gap between them, is an experience which value we can’t evaluate. The idea of organizing the 20th Anniversary is absolutely great. If it could be up to me, I would organize this type of anniversary every 5 years as during past 20 years of my life I have outlasted a lot. I have got a wonderful wife and three beautiful children. I had 2 serious diseases. Each day is a gift for me! The WYC 20th Anniversary, the meeting with people and the musical experience is a great gift for me too. Every time I think about memories from this meeting, I have got a big smile on my face. And I would like to say thank you all”
Oliver Salon, Slovakia
World Youth Choir 1989
“I am one of the “very first” singers of the World Youth Choir. I sang in 1989, 1990, 1991 and 1992. In 1991 I was also the project manager for the Prague portion of the tour. I am having a hard time finding words to express what the World Youth Choir experience means to me. I never imagined I would be a part of such talented group of people. I was sad once I became “too old” to be a member anymore. I would miss my friends; I would miss the incredibly high level of music we were making together. I often thought about us “old” members singing and spending time together again, so I was ecstatic to find out that there will be an anniversary reunion. I knew I would do everything I could to be there. I wasn’t the only one, apparently. Even in the time of the economic downturn, World Youth Choir former members from all over the world turned up at the Stockholm Central Station looking for the train to Orebro! The reunion was marvelous and way too short. Seeing my friends and catching up was priceless. So was singing together again. And yes, we were crying at the end, just like we did every year. Thank you, Thomas Caplin and Stefan Sköld for the World Youth Choir and it’s first year, thank you, Jean-Claude Wilkens for keeping it alive till today, thank you Vladimir Opacic (and everyone else) who made this anniversary possible. And some of us 89’ers are already planning World Youth Choir Alumni sessions for 2010 and 2011.”
Jamila Hla Shwe, Czech Republic/USA
World Youth Choir 1989
Durante los últimos 20 años muchos voluntarios han trabajado para mantener en funcionamiento al Coro Mundial de Jóvenes. Todos ellos, alrededor del mundo se reconocerán en este artículo. El Coro Mundial de Jóvenes les agradece a todos ellos, a todos aquellos alrededor del mundo que reconocieron la importancia de la existencia del coro y creyeron en su futuro. ¡Esperamos que ustedes y muchos otros continúen creyendo en nosotros durante los próximos 20 años!
En nombre del Centro Internacional para la Música Coral, quien coordina el proyecto, expresamos nuestra gratitud a: Stefan Sköld, Thomas Caplin, los fundadores; Jean-Claude Wilkens fundador y anterior gerente del Coro Mundial de Jóvenes; Alessandro Cortese, antiguo cantante y gerente de sesión del coro; empleados/pasantes actuales y anteriores del CIMC y la FIMC Véronique Bour; Nadine Robin; Maria Catalina Prieto; Victoria Liedbergius; el equipo gerencial y editorial del Boletín Coral Internacional en cabeza de Jutta Tagger; la Federación internacional para la Música Coral, Juventudes Musicales Internacional y Europa Cantat como organizaciones mecenas del proyecto; los miembros del Comité del Coro Mundial; y por supuesto Martine Jacques y la Provincia de Namur, la ciudad de Namur con sus representantes por todo su apoyo durante todos estos años.
Un agradecimiento especial a los más de 40 reconocidos directores provenientes del mundo entera y los equipo de organización de Suecia, Bélgica, Hungría, España, Noruega, Uruguay, Canadá, Estonia, Japón, Taiwán, Eslovenia, Venezuela, Estados Unidos de América, Suiza, Corea del Sur, Sudáfrica, y china quienes recibieron al Coro Mundial de Jóvenes durante sus giras en más de 25 sesiones de verano e invierno desde 1989.
Finalmente un gran agradecimiento a Christina Kühlewein, coordinadora de programa de la FIMC por su inmedible e invaluable trabajo en la celebración del vigésimo Aniversario, así como a Fred Sjöberg, presidente del Centro Coral Internacional Sueco y su esposa Gunnel Sjoberg, la productora por su trabajo y devoción al organizar la celebración del vigésimo Aniversario dentro del marco del festival coral “Alcen sus voces” en Örebro, Suecia.
Vladimir Opačić, Serbia
WYC singer 1999-2004, WCC singer 2004, 2009
World Youth Choir project manager since 2004/05
Conductor, music teacher
E-Mail: vopacic@ifcm.net
Traducción del inglés por Diana Ho, Venezuela