Barry University is celebrating Earth Week!  On Thursday, April 16th, Barry University welcomed the Recycled Orchestra of Cateura, an internationally acclaimed ensemble from Paraguay that creates instruments from retrieved trash. Led by Favio Chávez, the orchestra is composed of youth from the low-income Bañado Sur community near the Cateura Landfill in Asunción, Paraguay. Their story is one of resilience, creativity and a commitment to sustainability.

While at Barry, the youth orchestra led by Favio Chavez, performed works by Piazzola, Cold Play and even their version of  “New York, New, York”!  Barry students from various disciplines joined in singing and even had a chance to play the instruments.  Maestro Chavez explained that this project started over 20 years ago and he had created a music school with over 450 students.  The music school in Cateura offers free music lessons to the youth, providing them with the possibility for social mobility and hope. 

Though a world renowned musician, Chavez shared that he is originally an environmentalist engineer.  The recycled orchestra vision came to him as he was teaching a class about the importance of classifying trash for sustainability!  To close their presentation, he reminded Barry students “to dream big, work hard, and be careful what you dream because dreams come true”!

On their t-shirts is a quote by Favio Chavez:  “EL MUNDO NOS ENVIA BASURA…NOSOTROS LE DEVOLVEMOS MUSICA” (The world sends us trash…in return we bring music to the world).

Closing the presentation with a high energy, joyful selection and an inspiring message to all who were in attendance. 

The Earth Week event was co-sponsored by the Department of Fine Arts, the Institute for Immigration Studies, Ministry and Outreach, and the Office of Integral Ecology.