SOLCA (Society for the Fight Against Cancer of Ecuador)

TEACHING MUSIC TO TEENAGE CANCER PATIENTS

(At the onset of the COVID 19 pandemic, Mo.Anzolini was the Artistic and Music Director for the Guayaquil Symphony Orchestra (OSG) in Ecuador.)

The city was still on high alert from the pandemic when I decided to play piano in the “Maternity Hospital” in the Guasco area, one of the most affected neighborhoods. To celebrate Mother’s Day with folk music, I played the piano for the mothers who were hospitalized as a consequence of the crisis: they were obliged to stay in the Hospital until the Ministry of Health would release them to go home.

This first encounter with Ecuadorian patients in hospitals gave me the idea of initiating some social work dedicated to people with terminal diseases. With the support of Dr Carmen Roca Silva, then the Executive Director of the OSG, we proposed an agreement with SOLCA (Spanish acronym for Sociedad de Lucha Contra el Cáncer -“Cancer Fight Society) through their Comité de Damas (Dames of SOLCA Committee). We agreed to offer on-line music lessons, and help with getting instruments for the SOLCA teenage patients.

The pinnacle of our achievements was the invitation to Maestro Leon Spierer, former concertmaster for the Berliner Philharmoniker, who played a free concert with the Guayaquil Symphony Orchestra in July 2021. The audience was invited to contribute with funds destined to buy instruments for the young SOLCA patients.

Maestro Leon Spierer rehearses with the OSG

A musical touch to encourage the fighters – SOLCA patients attend classes with the Guayaquil Symphony Orchestra

Extracted from the text: Seated in front of a screen, connected by Zoom, twenty-six students excitedly confess their musical dreams…some want to play drums, others the violin or the piano….the musicians of the Guayaquil are committed to this project, driven by its Artistic Director, Dante Anzolini

Photos of the article published by “El Universo” journal of Guayaquil, Ecuador, on July 24, 2021.

Title: German violinist Leon Spierer offered an historic concert with the Guayaquil Symphony Orchestra – The ninety-three-year-old artist received an standing ovation in this concert held within reduced theater capacity, organized to benefit more than twenty children, all patients of SOLCA

Extracted from the text:

“(Leon Spierer) arrived at the invitation of Dante Anzolini, Artistic Director of the OSG, who at the start of the concert explained to the audience that Mo. Spierer offered his his work for free as the performance was organized for a social cause: to encourage people to continue donating to the “Ladies of SOLCA Committee” (Society for the Fight Against Cancer) to acquire musical instruments for the patients….(who were) offered virtual music lessons for a year, taught by Anzolini and some members of the orchestra”.