Colombian-born Wollongong conductor Carlos Alvarado was appointed Illawarra Choral Society musical director in 2019. Photo: Prakash Gopal.
On 9 August, Sydney Town Hall was packed with more than 2000 people for Ode to Peace and the Future — an event that transcended concert tradition to become a resounding statement.
At the podium, Wollongong’s own Carlos Alvarado, artistic director of the Illawarra Choral Society, commanded 300 voices and a 55-piece multicultural orchestra in a cross-cultural celebration marking the 80th anniversary of victory in the World Anti-Fascist War.
Hosted by the Huaxing Arts Group Australia and co-organised by the Chinese Consulate-General in Sydney, the Maritime Union of Australia, and the NSW South Coast Labour Council, the event blended Western and Chinese works, including Carlos’ own arrangements – most notably a moving rendition of I Am Australian.
For Colombian-born Carlos — a conductor whose worldview had been shaped by life in countries touched by conflict — it was more than a professional engagement.
While studying from 1983 to 1993 at the Tchaikovsky Conservatory in Moscow, Russia, Carlos met and married Russian violinist Alexandra Loukianova.
There, he witnessed the fall of the Soviet Union, Gorbachev and the communist regime, as well as the Berlin Wall in Germany.
Back home, things were not better.
“When we finished our studies in ’93 we went to live in Colombia, but it was a time of great violence,” Carlos says.
“There was a confrontation between three big forces — the radical left guerrilla wing, and at the opposite end, the ultra-right paramilitary, which was basically founded by a sort of mafia developing at that time. The government was a third power, trying to deal with those two very contrasting forces, and the rest of us were trapped between the conflict.
“It was hard to watch what was happening in Colombia. My birthplace is one of the most beautiful countries in the world, with some of the most beautiful people.”
At the time, Alexandra was the concert master for the Colombian Philharmonic Orchestra and Carlos was teaching at the university and conducting for all the major orchestras in the country. Artistically and economically, they were doing well.
“But we never felt safe,” Carlos says.
A turning point came when Carlos’ cousin, Elsa Alvarado and her husband — two prominent Colombian human rights activists — were killed.
“We finally decided we needed a plan B,” Carlos says.
In 2002 they migrated to Australia. They lived in Sydney for the first two years but worked for the Wollongong Conservatorium before founding the WIN Wollongong Symphony Orchestra, which ran from 2004 to 2011.
Familiar with the fragility of peace and the cost of division, Carlos uses his music as both a refuge and a bridge — a way to transform pain into beauty and to connect communities that might otherwise remain apart.
“I’ve seen many things that made me think many times over that music — classical in particular — was a powerful vehicle to bring peace to an audience that might otherwise be divided,” he says.
“I am inspired by Argentinian Jewish conductor and pianist Daniel Barenboim. He once created an orchestra with both Palestinian and Israeli musicians connecting through music. That is absolutely incredible, when you think how in just about any other context, these two groups would not be in the same room. It’s the most beautiful demonstration of how music can do the impossible — bringing people with historic conflict together.
“They say music is a universal language and that, in my experience, is true. I think all musicians should be turning their talents towards helping stop the stupidity of war; especially right now when the world is in so much danger, with big ambitious leaders creating instability.”
Illawarra audiences will have the chance to experience Carlos’ music and passion up close this month at A Taste of the Classics — a relaxed concert of choral favourites accompanied by piano. Guests will enjoy a welcoming afternoon of beautiful music and even chat with Carlos afterwards in an informal, friendly setting.
A Taste of the Classics takes place Sunday 28 September from 2 pm at Thirroul Library — book via Humanitix. For more information, including on Carlos’ December show The Messiah at Wollongong Town Hall, visit the Illawarra Choral Society.
