by Joel Arias

Anticipating and managing crises in today’s world has become increasingly necessary, and in recent years, organisations have rapidly developed programs designed to meet these needs. The COVID-19 pandemic serves as a reminder of the importance of having effective crisis management before, during and after. 

It is for this reason that in Latin America they have been taking rapid measures and establishing plans and agreements in order to make preparations for what the future may bring. Many of the academic and cultural institutions in Latin America as well as Central America are promoting academic ties to several institutions in developing countries in order to properly prepare their students, as well as receive virtual classes with professionals in many of the important First World countries. Since 2015, I have been the professor of the horn studio at the University of Panama, and through such cooperation between institutions, have been able to realise festivals and masterclasses with some of the more important pedagogues at prestigious institutions in North America and Europe. However, this is not the case with other countries in Latin America, especially for those who have recently experienced critical political and social situations. My concrete proposal in this bulletin is to initiate the creation of an educational assistance program which would entail sending some of its associates to various conservatories and universities in these countries. Many of the universities and conservatories have no precedent which enables them to pay the travel costs of the visiting professors much less covering the guests’ accommodations and international flights. The objective is the continuing education promoted by the IHS, in order to prepare these students and provide them with the opportunity to pursue their studies at other recognised institutions.

Translation: Kerry Turner

Joel Arias was born in Venezuela, and began his early musical training at the age of eight. He studied Keyboard from age 9 and his studies on Horn at the “Sistema de Orquestas Juveniles e Infantiles de Venezuela” at the age of ten.

During two consecutive periods he was a recipient of the DAAD (Deutscher Akademischer Austauschdienst) Stipendium, scholarship granted by the German Government to complete his post-graduate studies, perfecting his skills as a soloist with the Valve Horn and the Baroque and Natural Horn with Michael Höltzel at the celebrated “Hochschule für Musik Detmold”. Baroque and Classical Horn with Prof. Ab Koster in die “Hamburg Hochshule für Musik und Theater” (in Germany), with Prof. Javier Bonet in “Escuela Superior de Música de Cataluña” (Barcelona-Spain). Master Class with Phill Mayer, Frank Lloyd and Radovan Vlatkoviç.

In 1997, he has named associate professor of the Itinerant Conservatory from the Beracasa Foundation together with the acclaimed French Horn player André Cazalet. Presently, he is professor at the Facultad de Bellas Artes de la Universidad de Panamá, Principal-Horn of the Orquesta “Sinfónica de Venezuela” and Current President of the “Delfino Núñez” Foundation for the Iberoamerican Horn School and Area representative for the International Horn Society. Mr. Arias can teach in German, English, Italian and Spanish.

by Joel Arias

 English version

Anticipar y gestionar las crisis se ha convertido en una necesidad en el mundo de hoy, y las organizaciones han desarrollado rápidamente programas para satisfacer esta demanda en los últimos años. La pandemia de COVID-19 sirve como un recordatorio de la importancia de contar con planes efectivos de gestión de crisis y considerar el antes, el durante y el después.

Es por esta razón que en Latinoamérica se están tomando rápidamente medidas y estableciendo planes y convenios para prepararse hacia lo que viene en el futuro. Muchas instituciones académicas y culturales de Latinoamérica y Centroamérica están promoviendo enlaces académicos con algunas instituciones de países desarrollados para preparar a sus estudiantes y recibir clases de manera virtual con los profesionales de algunas Importantes Universidades de estos países del Primer Mundo. Desde el año 2015 yo soy el Profesor del Horn Studio de la Universidad de Panamá y por medio de algunos convenios institucionales se han realizado Festivales de Horn y Máster Clases con algunos de los más importantes Pedagogos de importantes instituciones de Norte America y Europa. Sin embargo, esto no es igual para otros países de Latinoamérica, especialmente para aquellos que están pasando desde hace algunos años por situaciones políticas y sociales críticas.

Mi propuesta concreta, en este boletín, es solicitar la creación de un programa de asistencia educativa que consista en enviar a algunos de sus asociados a los diferentes Conservatorios y Universidades de esos países. Muchas de esas Universidades y Conservatorios no tienen un presupuesto que les permita pagar los gastos de viaje para profesores invitados y mucho menos para cubrir los gastos de hotel y boletos aéreos internacionales.

El objetivo principal es la educación continua, promovida a través de la IHS, con el objetivo de preparar a esos estudiantes y brindarles con esto la oportunidad de proseguir sus estudios en otras instituciones reconocidas.

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Hello! As your IHS Regional Workshop Coordinator, I invite you to consider hosting a horn-centric event. My IHS role, which I’ve held since 2003, is to help horn players around the world who are interested in putting together events that bring horn players together. Whether you may wish to hold a large 3-day regional workshop or a one-day local event, I can help assist potential hosts in many different capacities, such as providing sample budgets; identifying funding sources; brainstorming about best practices; providing document templates; avoiding schedule conflicts with other events; creating event schedules and negotiating discounts with hotels, to name a few.

One of the best things that the IHS offers to hosts is access to a small grant fund. Members can log in to hornsociety.org and apply for Regional Workshop Assistance Funds to help pay for initial costs of workshop organization. At this time, hosts can apply for funds ranging from up to $200 for 1-day events to $500 for 3 days or more. We particularly encourage hosts from underserved countries to apply.

Over the years I have hosted many events, including four regional horn workshops in the U.S.A., and I’ve attended and assisted many more. I’ve learned a lot about what does and what does not work. Whether you are just toying with the idea of putting on an event, or you are already well into planning an upcoming workshop, I am always happy to offer my help. Whatever your situation, feel free to contact me by email at bshires@uca.edu and I’ll reply as quickly as possible. I can’t wait for in-person events to resume, so in the meantime let’s plan some great horn workshops together!

Brent Shires
Associate Professor of Horn, University of Central Arkansas
Third Horn, Arkansas Symphony Orchestra

by Chai Suang Tan

Because of this pandemic, a lot of us are stuck at home, but this gave us an opportunity to connect with each other in a special way. We all studied with same teacher in Singapore, Mr. Han Chang Chou at the Yong Siew Toh Conservatory of Music:

Chai Suang Tan - Horn, National Center of Performing Arts Orchestra, Beijing
Years of studies in YST - (2010-2014)
Tao Li - Associate Horn Professor, Xinghai Conservatory of Music, Guang Zhou
Years of studies in YST - (2003-2007)
Yichong Huang - Principal Horn, Guangzhou Symphony Orchestra
Years of studies in YST - (2006-2009,2012-2013)
Ye Lin Xie - Horn, Shanghai Symphony Orchestra
Years of studies in YST - (2004-2008 )
Sze Fong Yeong - studying under Saar Berger in Musikhochschule Trossingen
Years of studies in YST - (2012-2016) 

Some of us have never met in person, yet we united at this difficult time and managed to pull off this little project of ours, playing The Casbah of Tetouan by Kerry Turner. Not only that; we were also able to fill our time and keep ourselves fit and create some positive energy between ourselves. Hopefully by sharing this music with other people, we can share this positive energy with everyone and make the world a better place too.

Thank you and I wish you all the best and good health. 

With best regards,
Chai Suang