Las Tunas Symphony Orchestra project, which has existed occasionally since 2010, was officially approved in an evaluation carried out at Las Tunas Theatre, with the presence of specialists such as Enrique Pérez Mesa (director of the National Symphony Orchestra and head of the National Commission of Symphony Orchestras of the country) and Mabel Castillo (vice president of the Cuban Institute of Music), among other prestigious officials.

Las Tunas, Cuba.- According to Ángel Manuel Téllez Rodríguez, representative of the recently made official group, this fact means that the brotherhood already exists from the technical-musical point of view, but it is the first step in a process that takes other steps regarding the logistics necessary for its functioning.

"It is the result of many years of work, of our seriousness and also of the friendship between each one of the members, which is reverted in greater harmony and in several outcomes. Now, it remains to determine the budget issues, the support of the institutions and other aspects, because we are talking about the largest format that exists within the manifestation.

"We currently have 53 members, but we aspire to have more than 80. It is not enough to have an excellent conductor or very good musicians, there are material aspects and coordination that are indispensable. That's why we also made a diagnosis of the instruments and the needs of the institution."

The Symphony is made up of most of the members of the Chamber Orchestra of Las Tunas, who defend the string section, more worshippers of wind and percussion instruments, among which are teachers from El Cucalambé Professional School of Art (EPA in Spanish) and performers of the Provincial Concert Band.

Regarding the decision, Téllez said: "From the interpretative point of view, they were amazed. They played musical pieces of Mozart, Beethoven, Sibelius, Guido López-Gavilán and Haydn. Maestro Pérez Mesa told us that, although he knew that it sounded very good, he left pleasantly surprised and praised Giudel (lead conductor) and the string managers for their work. In addition, he acknowledged the union between all the musicians and the communication between the conductor and the orchestral group."

In a dialogue with 26Digital, he stressed the importance of this day for culture in the territory and was especially grateful for the support of the EPA's teachers and students who, together with the parents of the students, have been helping to form small orchestras for many years, which have served as a breeding ground for the current roster. In addition, "the recruitment work was very hard."

"The Symphony is a cultural institution that is evolving. Quartets can come out of it, you can accompany a choir or a soloist, make film music and other tasks," he added.

The Symphony Orchestra project, prior to this date, regularly offered several concerts, some of which were conducted by maestros José Antonio Méndez Padrón, Dayana García, Ulrich Nyffeler (Switzerland), Walter Themel (Italy), Guido López Gavilán, Pirmin Lang (director of the G. F. Händel choir), Lucerne, Switzerland), and Cubans Javier Millet Rodríguez and Jessica Rivero Altarriva. Meanwhile, the string section has extensive experience in concerts, with demanding repertoires, demonstrated on important occasions such as during a tour of Switzerland and the Principality of Liechtenstein.