Dante Cucurullo and Darwin Aquino Praise Creation of Theater Orchestra Comprised of Musicians with Handicaps

Dante Cucurullo and Darwin Aquino Praise Creation of Theater Orchestra Comprised of Musicians with Handicaps
Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic 5/20/2013

The creation of the Theater Orchestra Dominicano(TODO in Spanish) was praised as a step forward for national art and music by orchestra directors Dante Cucurrulo and Darwin Aquino who concur that the orchestra takes into account a source of talent that has, up to now,been excluded and which has much to offer Dominican society.

For Mr. Cucurullo, Director of the Juan Pablo Duarte Children’s Symphony Orchestra, the initiative to create the Theater Orchestra Dominicano is a valuable contribution. He said he hoped the group will perform beyond this May 27th …

TODO, made up of people with physical disabilities, will debut on May 27th at the Carlos PiantiniHall of the Eduardo Brito National Theater. Orchestra directors Cucurullo and Aquino said this concert is going to be an extremely important social and artistic event.

For Mr. Cucurullo, Director of the Juan Pablo Duarte Children’s Symphony Orchestra, the initiative to create the Theater Orchestra Dominicano is a valuable contribution. He said he hoped the group will perform beyond this May 27th concert and that “it should continue cultivating the artistic potential of these people.”

“During the auditions, I realized the great potential of these young people which, because of a lack of inclusion in the various arts, the country has been missing out on the enormous talent these skilled young people have to offer,” said Cucurullo.

The Director added that there are institutions such as the National Conservatory of Music that has had non-sighted students with fantastic hearing and musical talent. He said they have experienced a great deal of success studying there.

Aquino, Director of the National Youth Symphony Orchestra, said the Theater Orchestra Dominicano (TODO) is a project the Ministry of Culturehas made a reality. “It is an excellent initiative that gives an opportunity for talented artists with disabilities to flourish as musicians.”

Mr. Aquino said these young artists, by nature, have something that the majority of us do not have – a more not fully developed contact with our inner senses. This, says Aquino, enables them to use these feelings to the maximum.

He added that, “thanks to this agility and contact with their inner feelings, these young people have great possibilities to be very expressive, authentic and sincere artists in all areas of the arts, such as theater, dance and music, among others.”

Aquino used the occasion to congratulate Culture Minister José Antonio Rodríguez for including all members of Dominican society in the arts, without any discrimination.

“It is without doubt, a very humane, exemplary and kind  gesture that has motivated and united all of us who work in the Ministry,” concluded Aquino.