Following a dream.

• Author: Talavera, Alex
• Position: !Ojo!

THE DIM LIGHTS lent a special glow to the recently refurbished San Roque Church, as one by one the young musicians took their places on stage and began to tune their instruments. When the musicians were ready, the youthful conductor made his appearance to begin a passionate performance of works by Slavic composers Smetana and Dvorak.

The occasion was a recent concert by the Youth Symphony Orchestra of Santa Cruz de la Sierra, Bolivia. Under the baton of native son Roland Schlieder, the orchestra is opening the door for many young people to discover their musical talents.

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Of German heritage, Schlieder had left his family's business to dedicate himself to his true passion, music. A self-taught guitar player, Schlieder began to study conducting in Germany, where he attended master classes by Sergiu Celibidache. Later, he studied classical guitar in the United States, under great maestros of the instrument such as Petar Jankovic and Celin Romero, of the renowned classical guitar quartet The Romeros.

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Schlieder was on track for a high-level international performance career, but he had other dreams; he wanted to help shape the lives of young people. Those dreams found resonance in an invitation from Cecilia Kenning, president of the Pro Arte Association of Santa Cruz, to establish the Youth Symphony Orchestra.

Schlieder moved back to the city of his birth in 2004, creating and then conducting the ensemble. Rising to the challenges of an ambitious, demanding, and challenging repertoire, the young musicians work every day to prepare for the concerts.

In a country such as Bolivia, which is facing so many social and economic problems, the idea of developing an orchestra presents a real challenge, Schlieder says. "In these times of such turmoil, I thank our supporters with all my heart for having confidence in my work...