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Classical Music
Costa Rica stepped onto the world stage in classical music with the
formation, in 1970, of the National Symphony Orchestra under the baton of
an American, Gerald Brown. The orchestra, which performs in the Teatro
Nacional, often features world-renowned guest soloists and conductors, such
as violinist Jos Castillo and classical guitarist Pablo Ortz, who often play
together. Its season is April through November, with concerts on Thursday
and Friday evenings, plus Saturday matinees. Costa Rica also claims the
only state-subsidized youth orchestra in the Western world. The Sura
Chamber Choir, founded in 1989 with musicians and vocalists from the
country's two state universities, was the first professional choir in Central
America, with a repertoire from sacred through Renaissance to
contemporary styles. The Goethe Institute, Alliance Franaise, the Museo de
Arte Costarricense, and the Costa Rican-North American Cultural Center, all
offer occasional classical music evenings; see the San Jos chapter
Costa Rica hosts an International Festival of Music during the last two weeks
of August (P.O. Box 979-`007, tel. 282-7724, fax 282-4574, email:
antich@costaricamusic.com; www.costaricamusic.com).
There's also an annual six-week-long Monteverde Music Festival, tel. 6455125, each January-February, combining classical with jazz and swing. It's
held at the Hotel Fonda Vela, in Monteverde. Book early.