Natá de los Caballeros Youth Orchestra Foundation.
In Natá de los Caballeros, we maintain the interest of fostering musical learning in children and youngsters by emphasizing the modalities that reveal the cultural identity and the origin of our ancestors.
In the year 2000, the Pro School of Music Committee was formed, made up of prominent natariegos, who sowed the first seed, children and young people who gather to receive musical learning that allows them to perform musical pieces with wind instruments and percussion.
Considering the value and talent of the participants of this cultural action, the members of the Committee, approach the Natá de los Caballeros Foundation, Siglo XXI, in 2003 and request to be incorporated to this Foundation, in order to achieve greater resources that allow them to expand and strengthen the musical group. FUNAC, Siglo XXI, obtains support from the IDB, Private Companies and most of the Associates. This is how the group is increased and the musical coverage is extended, including string instruments, wind and percussion. In this opportunity the participation of more than 100 students between the ages of 3 to 18 years was achieved.
Many of these students stood out in this initial phase, in folkloric contests, such as the one that takes place annually in the City of Tables called “Clímaco Batista violin contest”. Our boys have achieved, in this Contest Prize Medals in various categories, including the maximum award “Medal of Medals”.
Achieve these triumphs, has been the door that has allowed us the recognition that we have today at the national level and that have been incorporated, as benefactors foreign friends and Panamanians who have donated instruments and their musical professions, to improve academic management and culture musical of our students.
In 2009, due to the increase in enrollment of children and young people participating in the Music Program and the expansion of its coverage. with regard to instruments of execution, it is proposed to create the Youth Orchestra Foundation and a greater projection to the country is seen, of this cultural contribution of Natá de los Caballeros.
In 2010 and 2015 we shared the pride that the Melo Companies distinguished us as a Youth Orchestra and outstanding young people at the national level in their “National Energy Talent Awakening Program”.
Director Juan Castillo
Juan Castillo is the main oboist of the National Symphony of Panama and full professor of the National Institute of Music. Creator of the festivals of double reeds of Central America, Mexico and the Caribbean, Juan Castillo premiered in 2014 a work alluding to the 100 years of the Panama Canal at the University of Gainsville, Florida, USA repeating the concert in 5 more cities of the Florida. He has performed as a soloist with the Symphony of San Salvador, Honduras, Irving (Texas), Mission Rome, Symphony of Americas and Panama. He has given recitals and taught master classes in Costa Rica, San Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua and throughout the Panamanian territory.