The Escuela de Práctica Orquestal and the Orquesta Joven de la Sinfónica de Galicia: history and impact

Resumo

Around the 1990s, there was a remarkable emergence of symphony orchestras in the autonomous communities in Spain, and thus a change in the cultural physiognomy of its environment. In 1994, the Orquesta Sinfónica de Galicia (OSG) created, for educational purposes, the Escuela de Práctica Orquestal (EPO); that became known as the Orquesta Joven de la Sinfónica de Galicia (OJSG) in 2002. In recent years we have witnessed a remarkable proliferation of such groups of young musicians throughout the Iberian Peninsula. The objective of this research is to study the degree of impact on the formation of professional musicians and the evolution of the educational work of the OJSG in its area of influence. Thus, the researcher manages data extracted from various documentary sources and statistical data. Former students’ interviews are also taken in consideration to verify the influence of this Youth Orchestra in their musical training and its overall role in improving the educational opportunities of its environment. The study tries to verify the establishment of a stable pool of professional musicians in Galicia under the influence of OJSG.