On Saturday I went to a fun event I just heard about by accident. The kids are on winter holidays right now, and this was a free concert designed to interest young kids in classical music. I’ve been at several classical concerts where very young kids were really into the music — one took place in a park and a little boy of about six or seven stood on the grass and conducted the orchestra for the whole concert!

This one took place in Plaza Vaticana, an open square on one side of the Teatro Colon. I couldn’t believe the size of the crowd, and I had to stand in line for quite a while to get a seat. There were even standing room only sections on either side of the square.

There were opera characters walking around in costume as the crowd moved into the space, having their photos taken with the kids. Then they all moved up to the stage as the live orchestra took its place and the show began.

The music was all easily consumable, many tunes everyone knows, such as the William Tell Overture. You can see from the video how into it the kids and adults were. There’s a great appreciation for culture in all its forms in Buenos Aires, and the fact that they interest children in it very early will ensure that it continues. Just another thing to love about this magical city!