Melodies Across Borders

In the organizer's words:

Socio-cultural youth orchestras from Munich & Miami together on one stage

C.O.N. SONANZA - Choir-Orchestra-Network in Germany - is an orchestra and choir project for children and young people from all socio-cultural backgrounds in Munich and the surrounding area, with and without previous musical experience.

The non-profit association was founded in Munich in 2017 and follows the approach of the Venezuelan music promotion program "El Sistema", which is replicated worldwide and changes the lives of more than 1 million children and young people in Venezuela. The basic principle is to provide excellent and free music education, including a loaned instrument and immediate access to the orchestra or choir. The aim of C.O.N. SONANZA is to promote equal opportunities and social cohesion in Munich with the help of classical music.

The concept includes low-threshold access to classical music education and learning and practicing (with and from each other) in a group. At C.O.N. SONANZA, newly interested kids get to know all the orchestral instruments and exciting teachers and choose their instrument, with which they can make music in the orchestra after just a few lessons and play at concerts, accompanied by their teachers.

To support the young Munich orchestra project, the more advanced "El Sistema-inspired" orchestra SIMANOF (Siman Orchestral Foundation) from Miami will play a binational concert with C.O.N. SONANZA in Munich as part of the SIMANOF Germany Tour. SIMANOF has been around for over ten years and has already completed several national and international tours. They will be in Germany for the first time in 2024.

This project is supported by the Munich Department of Culture.