The Marimba 2010 International Festival and Conference will be held from April 28 – May 1, 2010 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. This will be a once in a lifetime event, which according to artistic director Fernando Meza, is a “celebration of the marimba”. The event will feature marimbists from Spain, Croatia, Portugal, China, Taiwan, Venezuela, Puerto Rico, Japan, Argentina, Canada, Italy, England, United States, Ghana, Greece, Costa Rica, Poland, Mexico, Israel, El Salvador, France, Denmark, Bulgaria, Serbia, and Korea. That is 25 countries!
What makes this event special, in addition to the lineup of artists, is that the festival will feature the marimbists playing with Minnesota’s finest orchestras and ensembles including the Minnesota Orchestra, VocalEssence, members of the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra, University of Minnesota Symphony Orchestra, Wind Ensemble and Percussion Ensemble, and Minnesota Youth Symphonies, to name a few.
“This event will create a unique forum for the mix of cultural influences that will merge dynamic art forms and foster cross-cultural understanding between participants, provide future benefits for each of the countries involved, and ultimately celebrate the marimba in a grand way”, says Meza on the festival website.
The event has received support from many organizations in the community and it is that community involvement that has made it possible.
To learn more about this global celebration of the marimba navigate to the festival website, visit the Facebook event page, or register now for the event! Feel free to leave comments on this blog letting me know if you are coming. I am also personally excited to showcase the twin cities to the rest of the world. I hope that everyone can come to this fantastic event!