Aguascalientes, Aguascalientes, July 24, 2025.—The Universidad Panamericana AguascalientesUniversidad Panamericana hosted the First National Esperanza Azteca Choirs and Orchestras Gathering, held from July 15 to 18 with the aim of bringing together talented children and teenagers from across the country through art and culture.
Through the social community development project, Comunidad Bonaterra, Panamericana continues to strengthen its commitment to the well-being of families in Aguascalientes.
A project that transforms lives
Since July 2020, Comunidad Bonaterra has promoted the comprehensive development of the families it serves in the eastern part of the city of Aguascalientes through entrepreneurship workshops, as well as sports, cultural, artistic, and academic activities, and family counseling programs.
Through cultural, athletic, academic, and entrepreneurship programs, this community has become a platform for inclusion, holistic development, and social education that makes a real difference.
In October 2024, the Esperanza Azteca – Bonaterra Community Orchestra was established, currently comprising 67 children, 14 teachers, and a conductor. The goal is to bring together 200 children in the choir and orchestra, with support from the Aguascalientes Cultural Institute.
First National Gathering of Esperanza Azteca Choirs and Orchestras
This year, from July 15 to 18, the Aguascalientes campus of the Universidad Panamericana the First National Meeting of Esperanza Azteca Choirs and Orchestras, which brought together approximately 240 children and young people from Esperanza Azteca’s various choirs and symphony orchestras across the country.
Dr. Jorge Franco, vice president of the Universidad Panamericana Aguascalientes Universidad Panamericana , notes that one of the reasons for organizing the event was to raise awareness of the orchestra’s project and to invite children, teenagers, and families to join the Bonaterra Community.
“For the Universidad Panamericana, hosting an event of this magnitude is not only a great privilege but also a tremendous opportunity to rally the university community behind the Bonaterra Community social project,”, he adds.
Lorenza Larios, M.A., director of Bonaterra Community, highlights the importance of this First Choir and Orchestra Festival, as it marks the consolidation of the agreement signed between the Esperanza Azteca Foundation, the Cultural Institute of Aguascalientes, and the Universidad Panamericana.
““This is the first agreement that the Esperanza Azteca Foundation has signed with a university, which is very positive since we, as a university, have the necessary resources to carry out the activities associated with the conference,” he notes.
He also noted the enthusiasm and positive response from the children in the Bonaterra Community, as it motivates them to pursue their dream of becoming as professional as the children, young people, and teachers who gathered on campus to participate in this event.
“I am proud to be part of the Universidad Panamericana the Bonaterra Community, and to know that we are transforming many lives,”, he says.
The origins of the Esperanza Azteca Orchestra, a musical project dedicated to artistic and professional excellence
More than 20 years ago, musician Julio Saldaña Torres launched a small arts program in Puebla with about 25 underprivileged children, with the aim of training them in the musical arts and helping them advance professionally.
What originally began as a workshop eventually grew into a major musical project supported by the Azteca Foundation. The Esperanza Azteca Symphony Orchestra made its debut with a performance featuring 350 children on stage, comprising both the choir and the orchestra.
The result of this project was the creation of the first generation of nine symphony orchestras that draw artistic talent from different parts of the country; over time, more and more orchestras joined, eventually reaching a total of 86; however, many of them were affected by the pandemic.
Starting in 2021, orchestras began to gradually reemerge, and there are now 30 orchestras across the country. “This is a project that provides opportunities and positively impacts children. The mission of music and of this project is to raise awareness,”, says Saldaña, founder and director of the Esperanza Azteca Symphony Orchestra.
“This national gathering is very important to us, as it is the first time in seven years that an orchestra and choir have been organized using this selection process. It fills me with pride, joy, and satisfaction that children and young people are enthusiastic about this artistic project, which has also been supported by the Universidad Panamericana,” adds the project’s founder.
Committed to art and social impact
Through initiatives like this, the Universidad Panamericana its commitment to social transformation by fostering spaces that promote art, culture, and human development.
Initiatives like these reflect the Panamericana’s social mission, as it firmly believes in the power of art as a tool for development and in shared responsibility for building a more just and compassionate society.
Learn more about how Universidad Panamericana social development through projects such as Comunidad Bonaterra and other initiatives that make a difference in the country: https://www.up.edu.mx/sobre-la-universidad-impacto-social-grupos-iniciativa/
