Alfredo de Saint Malo Festival
The Alfredo de Saint Malo Festival (ASMF) is an international classical music event that takes place annually in different venues across Panama City. For about eleven days every year the Festival welcomes audiences with a blend of symphonic and chamber music programs, with addition of choral, folk, world music and dance performances.
ASMF was established in 2007 by Isaac Casal, Panamanian cellist, educator and cultural innovator. The Festival soon became one of the most important classical music festivals of the Central American Region.
| The Festival’s mission
To build a community of exchange between local musicians and foreign music professionals.
To enable lovers of music and culture, and the general public enjoy and appreciate classical music attending concerts of the highest level at affordable prices.
Besides the performances, the Festival includes training activities, such as workshops, conferences, master classes and competitions. Their goal is to provide young aspiring Panamanian musicians with valuable mentoring and performance opportunities as well as facilitate the contact with the Universities abroad.
In this way, many know the festival as a meeting point.
The Festival was named after the world renowned violin virtuoso of the 20th century, Alfredo De Saint Malo (1898-1984), the only Panamanian to own and play Stradivarius instrument. Not only did he perform with great success for international audiences in the most prestigious concert halls such as Sala Gaveau of Paris, Musikvereinsaal in Vienna or Carnegie Hall in New York, but also for 12 years he held the position of director of the Conservatory of Music and Declamation in Panama. This period (1941-1953) witnessed an extraordinary renaissance of musical and cultural life in Panama.
Inspired by Saint Malo’s legacy, Funsincopa strives to ignite positive changes in the social and music culture of Panama.
The importance of the Festival was noted in May 2019, when the Panamanian Government, by law, recognized the Festival as a national annual festival.
In June 2015, the ASMF received the "Anita Villalaz" award granted by the CICAV (Anita Villalaz Cultural Circle) in its XXVII edition.
Paquito D‘Rivera, 2017
| World and Panamanian premieres:
First audition in Panama of Roque Cordero’s Violin Concerto (2010)
First audition in Panama of Sergei Prokofiev’s 5th Symphony (2010)
World premiere of Ramón Paus’ Concerto for viola and string orchestra, work commissioned by ASMF (2013)
World premiere of Dinos Constantinides’ Concerto for violin, cello and orchestra, work commissioned by ASMF (2018)
| Distinguished artists of the Festival
Paquito D’Rivera, Andrés Díaz, Yuval Gotlibovich, Rachel Barton Pine, Tessa Lark, Shalev Ad-El
| Panamanian musicians honoured by the Festival:
Roque Cordero, Narciso Garay, Gonzalo Brenes, Fermín Castañeda
| Principal international sponsors:
Youth Orchestra of the Americas, Metropolitan Opera, Louisiana State University, Northwestern University, Texa Tech University, Montclaire State University, Baylor University, Miami Dade Community College
Special acknowledgment
For the support, encouragement and mentoring, especially in the initial years of the creation of the festival to: Luis Casal, Essy Casal and the whole family, Graciela Núñez, Patricia Ruiloba, National Concert Association, Electra Castillo, Polyphonic Choir of Panama, Hilda Ochoa, Julia Ernst, Orchestra of the Americas (formerly Youth Orchestra of the Americas).
The concert for youth and children in the cathedral of Colon was something wonderful, unique, a very strong feeling from within. I believe that a country without children and young people linked to art, education and knowledge is a society doomed to failure in many ways. My compliments to FUNSÍNCOPA for all the work and dedication as the architect of an earnest path in the development of art in Panama and for Latin America.
Working together with students of Funsincopa, seeing their passion and dedication to music was a highly enriching experience.
The festival would not be possible without the support from our sponsors, partners and volunteers. Any excess revenue from the ticket sales or donations is being used to support our education program of