MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Uruguayan orchestra plays concert at Antarctic Artigas Base

Maestro Britos and 16 players traveled to the Artigas Base

Uruguay's Official Service of Broadcasting, Performances, and Shows (Servicio Oficial de Difusión, Representaciones y Espectáculos - Sodre) National Youth Orchestra (OJS) offered the so-called concert “For Peace and Science” at the South American country's Artigas Base in Antarctica

Seventeen musicians (16 players plus a conductor, maestro Ariel Britos) interpreted Rubén Rada's “Mi país,” Gerardo Matos Rodríguez's “La Cumparsita”, and Rubén Lema's “A Don José,” among other pieces by Uruguayan authors.

The concert was broadcast from the Youtube channel of the Public Media, and Montevideo's Channel 5 will air broadcast the documentary miniseries “Antarctica: the continent of all,” with the musical score played by the OJS.

The show was initially scheduled to be staged outdoors but was shifted to an indoor facility due to weather issues. The event marked the 40th anniversary of Uruguay's presence in Antarctica.

The concert was announced last week during a ceremony attended by Defense Minister Javier García, Sodre Chairwoman Adela Dubra; National Audiovisual Communication Service President Gerardo Sotelo, and Uruguayan Antarctic Institute (IAU) head Fernando Colina.

García highlighted the importance of Uruguay being one of the 29 countries that make up the Antarctic Treaty, which began 40 years ago with the installation of the Artigas Antarctic Scientific Base. The concert “is a very nice sign and speaks very well of Uruguay,” García said at the time.

With this concert, “the OJS will take our culture to the continent of peace and science,” said Colina.