Director Elsa Castillo deserves kudos for organizing another great musical event at the Boquete Biblioteca---this time a youth symphony orchestra from David. It's the first of it's kind in Panama, and the musicians, ranging in age from 8 to 21, were incredibly accomplished for their short tenures as part of the ensemble. According to information provided, some students had as little as 6 months of music lessons and the "senior" participants may have had as much as 2 years. They played 6-7 classical pieces, including selections from the Nutcracker Suite and Dvorak's New World Symphony, then ended the afternoon with traditional Christmas music and one latin calypso rhythm. They received standing ovations from a pleased audience of both Panamanian and expat attendees. The orchestra is named after it's founder, Manuel ObaldÃa Alvarado, and is better known as M.O. A. for short.
