Daniel del Castillo González
From the poorest neighborhoods of Argentina's capital to the Vatican. That's what this children's music group has achieved: from playing in the slums of Buenos Aires to performing at none other than the Vatican.
This was made possible by the Argentinian Solidarity Artistic Center. They are professional musicians who offer free music lessons. Their social work reaches some of the city's most disadvantaged communities.
One of their annual events is the 'Villera Opera', where they hold concerts at various cultural venues. What they didn't expect was this:
To have their music played before the pope. For many, this is a goal they’ve achieved by escaping the harsh realities of their neighborhoods.
DRA. MAILÉN UBIEDO MYSKOW
Opera Director
It's a part of the reality of these neighborhoods: they do not always have the money needed for good instruments. Many of the children also have jobs or other responsibilities. That is why reaching this point has special significance for us. It's not simply about playing before an audience and premiering a new piece, but because they managed to overcome so many other challenges to get there.
For a week, their music has echoed through various churches and landmarks in Rome: the National Church of Argentina, the Vatican, the Spanish National Church of Santiago and Montserrat, and for a larger audience at Piazza del Popolo, a place that they hardly knew.
MÓNICA ROJAS
Opera Cellist
This project has opened so many doors for me. It has allowed me to discover incredible and unimaginable places. Not just Rome, but places nearer to home as well. Many of us had never traveled, not even to the beach, which is very common, but next to impossible for some of us because of the economic conditions we grew up in.
They shared this moment of greetings with the pope during the audience and presented him with the Opera’s stole.
MÓNICA ROJAS
Opera Cellist
We made this stole to represent who we are, because Argentina is a large country made up of many immigrant communities. Many of us, as well as the organization itself, have Peruvian and Paraguayan roots. The flag is part of the design, and the purple stripe running through the center represents the CASA, the organization behind the project, as well as Argentina itself.
Now this organization returns to the Argentinian capital knowing that Pope Leo XIV is the Opera's biggest fan.
