Luis Szarán
Paraguay is a leader in delivering some of the finest classical orchestrations the world has to offer. And you can thank its most prominent leader, Luis Szarán, for that accomplishment. The 60-year-old composer and conductor is the maestro of the Philharmonic Orchestra of Asunción, Paraguay. The child of poor farmers, Szarán was discovered by a prominent Paraguayan musician who gave him the opportunity to study music in Europe. He dedicated his career to composing music as well as studying it. His compositions and research on Native American sounds have made the rounds through the hands of musicians and its academics across the globe. In 2002, Szarán founded Sonidos de la Tierra, a program that encourages music education and performance. Szarán aims to educate the masses on Paraguay’s major role in music. “I believe that Paraguayans are intimately related to music,” he once told PBS. “In many parts of the world, music is tied to religious practices and other components in life. But here in Paraguay, I feel that music is linked to everything.”
