A Classical Concert featuring Belizean and International Talent

The Embassy of Mexico in Belize in collaboration with the Belize Virtuosi Orchestra and the National Institute of Culture and History is putting off the third classical concert at the Mexican Institute in Belize City. Sound of the Trumpet is featuring the National Youth Orchestra of Belize, Saint John’s Junior College Treble Makers, American Trumpet Player Rick Leister, Kanie Herrera, Jasen Carbajal, Alobi Young, and world renowned cellist, Peter Illavsky. Earlier today, the media was given an opportunity to speak with the musicians ahead of the free concert, which starts at seven p.m. on Saturday.

Peter Illavsky

Peter Illavsky, Music Director/Cellist

“I’m cellist because of my father. My father is very famous opera singer. So I am the oldest son and I always sang. I was a member of the Vianne Boys and studied singing. But when it came around fifteen, sixteen, everybody expected me to follow the steps of my father and I said, “Oh no, he is too good.” So I started playing the cello and I continued my singing studies, so now I have both things. I am a professional opera singer, but at the same time I play the cello in orchestras and I have a lot of experience and I think this helps a lot.”

Richard Thomas Leister

Richard Thomas Leister, Trumpet Player

“I started in fourth grade somewhere around forty-five years ago so that’s when I started playing. I was a professional in Chicago for probably thirty to thirty-five years. I retired and moved to Cozumel. What can they expect about tomorrow night? Well hopefully a fun concert. Trumpet players don’t play solo, by ourselves; we play with other people, we interact. And that is how music is created, the interaction of all of the performers coming together is what makes music.”

Peter Illavsky

“We want this exchange so that we can learn here and make it really better. This is the first part of the programme and the second part, we will have the continuing of our series from last week with several compositions by Queen by Freddie Mercury and everything sound live with no microphone, no prerecording so really the way it is meant to be, very naturally.  When I was introduced here to the local talents and musicians, I saw there is so much talent, but I must say there is a waste of this talent. They have no possibilities to become here professionals so they have to leave and go to other countries and it’s another waste for Belize. So Belize is losing all its richness in the people. So I had the idea and talked with people like Mister Colville Young, with NICH…why don’t we help them to get something here started so they can make a living here so they don’t have to go abroad. So that’s how the idea came about. We should bring in some really good teachers and get them here getting a higher quality and then they can perform. And look, we have here a great market; there are so many tourists coming.”