Director of the UDA Choir receives the Francisco Paredes Herrera Badge
The teacher María Eugenia Arias, Director of the Polyphonic Choir of the University of Azuay, received last November's 3 the Francisco Paredes Herrera badge in the solemn session of Cabildo for the 197 years of independence of Cuenca.
This recognition is named after the Cuenca-born composer Francisco Paredes Herrera, prolific composer who created from pasodobles to corridors, and who earned the nickname of "the king of the Ecuadorian corridor".
The badge is awarded every year to Cuenca characters who stand out in a remarkable way in music.
María Eugenia tells us that on Tuesday 24 in October she received a call from City Councilman Christian Zamora who told her that in a council session they had agreed that this year she would be decorated with the Francisco Paredes Herrera badge.
The teacher, who six months ago suffered the departure of her mother, remembers with tears that shortly before she passed away she told her that she would one day be awarded for all her dedication and dedication to her work.
"I sat in bed with my father and told him that they would give me a recognition for my work, at that moment we just hugged and we began to mourn remembering those words of my mother," said Maria Eugenia drying her tears his eyes.
For her it is a great distinction and a great responsibility to receive this recognition because it is not only to receive a decoration: "For me it means service to the citizenship, I will carry on my shoulders with great honor this decoration and I will work so that the city of Cuenca is every time richer in culture. "
Early vocation
María Eugenia Arias began her musical studies at the age of 11 years at the "José María Rodríguez" conservatory in the city of Cuenca, where she obtained the title of Bachelor of Arts, piano mention.
Her career was first supported by her parents and now by her husband and children.
María Eugenia is currently working with the elementary, middle and higher levels in the piano chair within the city's conservatory. But the piano is not his only passion:
She is the Director of the Cultural Diffusion Children's Choir of the "José María Rodríguez" Arts School since its creation in the 2008 year and is also in charge of the direction of the Youth Choir of the "José María Rodríguez" Higher Conservatory since 32 years ago.
Since the year 2011 is the Director of the Polyphonic Choir of the University of Azuay, where she had obtained the title of Bachelor of Education Sciences, Musicology mention in the year 2005.
In January, 2017 attended the Choral Conducting Workshop with the Hungarian Master Zoltán Sándor, currently she is vice rector in charge of the "José María Rodríguez" School of Arts and is a founding member of the MusartEH Foundation.
His work has borne great fruit in the cultural and musical area of the city, coming to present renowned works such as "Traviata" and now preparing for a new premiere "The Magic Flute".
María Eugenia says that her vocation is to be a teacher and that she learns day by day from her students and each one is a different world but when working together they do big things.
"This will be a year in which I will dedicate all of my to leave a cultural footprint in the city, Cuenca is recognized worldwide as a rich and diverse city in culture and I want it to be recognized musically too," concluded Maria Eugenia.
