UNIVERSITY OF LOS ANDES CHOIR
The "Orfeón de la Universidad de Los Andes" is one of the older choir of the country, probably the first outside the capital and pioneer in promoting choral music of Merida. Founded by "José Rafael Rivas" gave its first public presentation in July 05, 1944.
During this 56 years of uninterrupted work the Orfeon has developed an important labour about promoting and spreading out for universal choral music and specially music of venezuelan composers. The Orfeon has maked many concerts and tours through diferent cities of the country, as: Acarigua Guanare, Valera, Trujillo, Maracaibo, Caracas, San Felipe, Valencia, Carora, San Cristobal, Porlamar, La Asunción, Coro, Los Teques, Maracay, San Juan de los Morros y El Vigía. Moreover, the choir has visited some countries like: Aruba, Curacao, Barbados, Trinidad & Tobago, Colombia, Spain and France.
It has taken part in the assembly of Sinfonic Choral Music as:
The Orfeon has participated in many regional, national and international choir festivals, as: I, III, V and VI National Friendship Encounter of University Choirs; X Choir Festival of the Universidad Sta. María – Venezuela; I International Polyphonic Festival of the Universidad Industrial de Santander – Colombia; III and IV Latin American University Choir Festival – Venezuela; II International University Choir Festival (FICU) – Spain, and III "America Cantat" Festival – Venezuela.
In 1991, by means of the creation of the ‘Fundación Amigos del Orfeón Universitario’, make the choir extend choral music in the University and in many states of Venezuela by means of didactic concerts. Also it created the Choir Festival of the Universidad de Los Andes.
The Orfeon has reveived some distinctions as:
The Orfeón is the cultural symbol of the University and all its member are university students which put together their academic formation with the choral music.