Juan Diego Flórez celebrates 15 years of musical outreach in Peru
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Peruvian tenor Juan Diego Flórez marked the fifteenth anniversary of Sinfonía por el Perú with a concert in Lima on September 19.
Flórez founded Sinfonía por el Perú to provide music education and development opportunities for children from low-income neighborhoods. Over 5,000 people attended the concert, which featured both classic opera and traditional Peruvian songs, performed by Flórez alongside more than 140 members of the Sinfonía por el Perú Youth Orchestra and Choir, led by Elizabeth Vergara.
The performance included selections from operas like Verdi’s “Rigoletto” and celebrated Peruvian songs such as “La flor de la canela” and “Fina estampa.” Flórez established the non-profit organization to show that music fosters well-rounded individuals who can improve their communities, an impact the organization calls the “Sinfonía Effect.” Researchers from the Grupo de Análisis para el Desarrollo (GRADE) measured the “Sinfonía Effect” and found that participation in the program increased self-esteem by 30 percent, creative personality by 20 percent, and enjoyment of school by 34 percent among participating children and teenagers.
The program also correlated with a 29 percent reduction in risky behaviors and aggression, and a 75 percent decrease in teenage pregnancy. Currently, Sinfonía por el Perú operates in ten of Peru’s twenty-four regions through over twenty-five active locations, and has expanded internationally with a project in Mexico called Sinfonía en México.
