The life of Maria Jaunarena It was always marked by artistic passions and multiple interests. Over the years he studied piano, drawing and painting, classical dance, flamenco, jazz, ceramics, mime, theater, theater direction. Everything indicated that art was his path.
He wanted to dedicate himself to theater, but his father told him to also pursue a university degree. He completed the basic cycles of Psychology and Philosophy, but did not continue. “Philosophy was my frustrated career, in fact, now I am doing a master’s degree at the UCA and I am very happy because I feel like I am returning home in some way. But at that time I did not feel comfortable, I had half arrogant classmates who scared me a little. Finally, I did the degree in Economics, which I always liked, I liked mathematics, and I graduated with a gold medal because it was a huge undertaking, but it was not what I wanted to dedicate myself to, I didn’t even get to practice. I barely graduated. I obtained a scholarship from the British Council and the Antorchas Foundation to do a master’s degree in Cultural Management at the City University of London. I had been interested in art since I was very young. My mother taught theater and body language classes at our house in Pergamino, and I participated in those classes. In addition, she was my music teacher in primary school and, later, I was her opera régie assistant for a long time,” she recalls.
Today María Jaunarena is a reference in the world of opera. Executive director of the prestigious Juventus Lyrica, she is a stage director, playwright and costume designer and makes adaptations of operas for adults and children. He recently won a Hugo Award for “Best Children’s Letters” for “The Barber of Seville.” In addition, Juventus obtained two more Hugos for “Best Male Protagonist in Children’s” (Gabriel Carazo) and “Best Production in Children’s” (Gustavo Passerino). And the Barber is nominated for the ACE for “Best Children’s” of the season.
Her mother, Ana D’Anna, is a singer, theater director and artistic director of Juventus Lyrica. His father, Horacio Jaunarena, is a lawyer, was Minister of Defense under President Raúl Alfonsín, writes poems and stories, created the Pergamino film club, and is the president of Juventus Lyrica. “Art and politics marked my childhood,” says María and also assures that she is not interested in holding public office or acting on the political stage. “I already do cultural politics through Juventus and I feel very comfortable where I am. Furthermore, I already experienced what it is like to be involved in politics when I was a girl and my father was Alfonsín’s minister. I remember the threats that were received at home.”
She is married to Martín D’Alessandro, political scientist and president of Poder Ciudadano, who also writes and comes from a family of tango players. And she is the mother of Francisca (16), who studies piano, has a passion for literature and was part of the chorus of several operas.
News: How and why did opera enter your life?
María Jaunarena: For my mother. At one point, she pursued a career as an opera régie at the Teatro Colón and from there created Juventus Lyrica. I remember that when I started going to Don Giovanni’s rehearsals I was shocked. It is a monumental work, which I later had to direct. It was like a mega mess. At the same time, I did the London scholarship in cultural management and there a path was opened for me that was sustained over time.
News: Why so much passion? What captures you about opera?
Jaunarena: The music and the scripts. There are masterpieces, the past has so much to tell us, and from a musical point of view it is truly enormous. I feel united with certain people who died a long time ago. It is the feeling of being part of a group that tries to add meaning to the noise of everyday life in which we move. It’s a magnet for me. The same connection I have with Philosophy. There are great composers, great playwrights and great philosophers who have this point in common, the possibility of asking questions that span centuries and that we continue to question and that unite us in some way. Music links me to opera, but mainly the theatrical part. And this is super important when it comes to children’s audiences, if they are not hooked by the story, even if we have the music of Puccini or Wagner, you are not going to hook them.
News: What is Juventus Lyrica today?
Jaunarena: A non-profit civil association that marked a before and after in the Buenos Aires scene and in the lives of many young lyrical artists. It was born 26 years ago to provide opportunities and education to young artists and to offer the city an alternative space to the Teatro Colón to enjoy opera. Over time it expanded and became a great audience developer. In 2008 we started the preview program for secondary schools and final years of primary school, through which children come to see our rehearsals of operas for adults, receive teaching material and appreciate the theater experience. In addition, many times, we invite older adults and retirement centers to also live the experience. Theater is a great builder of bonds of solidarity because it allows the audience to put themselves in someone else’s shoes. It generates empathy, understanding, tolerance and reconstitutes the social fabric in these terms. And since 2013, when the opera required children’s choirs, we began to integrate children from vulnerable neighborhoods, such as those from Villa 31. Children who had never set foot in a theater did so from the stage and their work was applauded and recognized. To date we have made 104 operas.
News: What other programs do you have?
Jaunarena: The artist training program that includes workshops, master classes and clinics in repertoire, performing arts and singing. We also give private vocal technique classes with certain teachers. This program works in parallel, it is not linked to the operas we do, and young people have the possibility of requesting a scholarship to participate. The most important thing that has emerged in recent years is Fígaro, a civil association that was born from Juventus and is dedicated solely to putting on operas for children. It puts on shows for preschool and primary school children with proposals that enrich the school curriculum, because it considers that the possibility of participating in art and culture is a child’s right. Going to the theater should be part of the school space and schedule, and not just as mere entertainment. Today more than ever, children need the possibility of feeling part, of feeling understood, of understanding others, of participating in the society that contains them. The interesting thing about theater is that it offers a vehicle for socialization, which is where we must work the most in this time of so much alienation.
News: How do kids react when they see opera for the first time?
Jaunarena: Very good. We try to have some winks with the audience to hook them with something that they already consume. For example, we put a piece of the song “Despacito” in the middle of one opera and a piece of “La morocha” in another. But, in general, the theatrical, the story, the theme, the conflict, the message that the work has is what opens the door to the audience.
News: A few years ago you said that doing opera is a patriotism. Are you still thinking about it?
Jaunarena: Yes, and more and more. Putting on an opera is something very complex, requiring many people, very difficult. There are too many resources and too much time invested for the few performances that the opera allows. There is no audience yet to do many shows, there will be four or five.
News: How are they solved at Juventus?
Jaunarena: We support ourselves with patronage, individual donations, ticket sales and sponsorships.
News: There is a lot of talk about Artificial Intelligence these days. What do you think of AI applied to music?
Jaunarena: On the one hand, it solves a lot; I only use it when I need answers or to get somewhere. Sometimes he says true things, and sometimes he doesn’t. On the other hand, it gives the feeling that we are dispensable beings and that worries me. Regarding a musical work created by Artificial Intelligence, who is the author? Who is the artist? I don’t know how the issue of artistic rights is resolved in that case. It’s disturbing too.
