To travel abroad and perform at major international festivals is the dream of many young musicians. This dream is now becoming reality for the Youth Orchestra of Sinfonía por el Perú, which is touring Europe for the first time with its founder, the Peruvian tenor Juan Diego Flórez.

“Side-by-side for a better future” is the motto under which the Academia Filarmónica Iberoamericana, or Iberacademy for short, based in Medellín, Colombia, is embarking on its second tour of Europe. The young musicians of the Iberacademy Orchestra will play impressive programs under the direction of Iberacademy founder Alejandro Posada and Roberto Gonzales-Mónjas, principal conductor of the Musikkollegium Winterthur, Switzerland.

After two years of intensive preparation, the Hilti Foundation has now established the Academy for Impact through Music (AIM) as an independent legal entity and non-profit foundation. Together, they are committed to drive positive systemic change in the Music for Social Change sector to enable young people to reach their full potential in life.

July is a member of the National Youth Choir in Sinfonía por el Perú. For her, being part of the program has opened a completely new world. Not only did she discover a talent she didn’t know she had, but she has also found her favorite way to express herself and her feelings through music.

Due to the pandemic, many programs in the field of music for social change had to adapt their ways of collaboration.

In this episode of In this Case we listen to Christine Rhomberg (Hilti Foundation), Gerald Wirth (Vienna Boys’ Choir) and Fiona Cunningham (AIM - Academy for Impact through Music) talking about the music programs the Hilti Foundation helps to fund and develop internationally.

Far beyond music education, the programs funded by the Hilti Foundation, aim to empower children and young people to overcome barriers and to grow personally.

The idea of music for social change was born in Venezuela in the 1970s and has since spread globally and inspired other programs.

The Hilti Foundation is aware of the allegations of sexual abuse against one of its projects, El Sistema Venezuela. The Hilti Foundation strongly condemns all acts of violence and abuse. We stand in solidarity with every victim of abuse, and we take survivors’ accusations seriously.

Ten years ago, the Peruvian tenor Juan Diego Flórez founded the social music programme"Sinfonía por el Perú". Based on the basic idea of the Venezuelan programme "El Sistema", music schools, so-called "Núcleos" were established in the hotspot neighbourhoods of Lima, and soon in the most vulnerable regions of the whole country.

Jahan’s schedule is always busy. He dreams of an international education and a career as an orchestra musician and teacher. A comprehensive, internationally networked music program, supported by the Hilti Foundation, makes this possible.