Pop up choir – Fermata Music

Music Director

Guillermo Freijido is a renowned uruguayan musician noted for his long career and great versatility as a pianist, arranger and music director. He has been also dedicated himself, for more than 24 years, to the teaching of music in prestigious educational institutions on his country.

At age 14, while he was continuing his formal and musical studies, he was already working professionally as a pianist and later he left Uruguay and continued training at the Liceu Conservatory (Barcelona – Spain) in the Modern Music and Jazz Classroom associated with the Berklee College of Music (Boston – U.S.A)

In 2007 he created and became the musical director of Fermata Music. A non-profit challenging project, based in part on his teaching and choral experience, that burst strongly onto the uruguayan’s art scene for its total innovation in many aspects but fundamentally, by his idea of have incorporated to said project a children’s choir, a symphony orchestra, a big band and also national and international guest artists at each show or concert.

This is why “Fermata Music” has become an unavoidable reference for many choirs and groups that clearly reflects the impact its has generated on all of them and the public throughout its trajectory.

Freijido has been also producer and musical director of pieces for television and he served as jury and teacher in the Keshet-International‘s television format: “MasterClass”, produced and broadcasted by Channel 12 (Teledoce).

Fermata Children’s Choir

The Fermata Children’s Choir was created in Uruguay (2009) by Guillermo Freijido who has been also its musical director.
Most of its members became part of Fermata since at some point they were students in choirs or music classes at educational institutions where Freijido was their teacher in charge.

Through time he discovered the musical conditions that the students had; he knew also how to see in them commitment to the activity in which they participated but above all, that their passion and enjoyment of music was also shared by other children so, it was time for his students to get to know each other and develop their potential in a new place that it would later becomes an unique space for everyone.

At first, they were only 16 children but later it had an exponential growth, not only in the artistic area but also in the number of members due to the fact that other Freijido’ students started to ask him for a place in Fermata Music and also through public castings made at the request of many children and young people from different schools or high-schools, that allowed them to join to the group.

Having already exceeded the figure of 80 members, with ages between 8 and 18, the Fermata Children’s Choir always kept its original name and became one of the most important and renowned choir of children and young people in Uruguay.
They have crossed the borders with its music and has made concerts in all the main stages of its country, many charity events, TV shows and more.

Fermata Choir

The Fermata Choir emerged in Uruguay in 2007 for two reasons, the first, its founder and musical director Mtro. Guillermo Freijido, had returned to the country after his musical studies abroad and felt the need to start putting into practice all the knowledge acquired. And the second one was that a group of his friends wanted to sing together but only if he led them.

It was thus then, on July 14 of that same year, the rehearsals began with only 7 people at an unusual location: “the garage” of Freijido’s parents house.

At 4 months, already with almost 20 members, they gave their first concert with a very wide repertoire, many “a cappella” works and other ones accompanied by Freijido’s piano with a great public’ success and support.
He was also who, in the absence of a group name for said presentation, decided to name it as “Fermata” (a well-known musical notation).

The choir is mostly made up of young and adult singers without formal musical knowledge but with a lot of natural talent, desire to improve and above all, passion and enthusiasm for making their voices sound better in harmony, the same harmony that exists in this incredible human group, where teamwork and respect for the others are the essential base that allows to reach the ambitious musical’s achievements they always propose to overcome year after year.

The Fermata Choir was the beginning of the Fermata Music project.

Fermaltos

This group was created in 2014 by the Mtro. Guillermo Freijido and since then conducted by him.
During childhood, all boys share their vocal register with girls, sopranos or altos, when they grow up, their register changes until their voice finally separates turning lower reaching new registers: tenors, baritones or basses.

Given this totally natural situation, Freijido wanted these boys, between 9 and 14 years old, to be able to express themselves with another repertoire, choreographies and proposals with respect to those they used to do as members of the Fermata Children’s Choir.
The first boys who were part of Fermaltos felt really identified with the group and they also gave it its name which obviously arises from combining “Fermata” with their “altos” register.

The success of Fermaltos was of such magnitude that Freijido decided to consolidated it independently so they began to have their own shows at the main theatres of Uruguay, special participations in Fermata Music’s live concerts, TV shows, benefit events, etc.

This completely pioneering, innovative and unique young boy’s group in Uruguay, once again marks the vision of Guillermo Freijido and the imprint of the Fermata Music’s project, fundamentally by transmitting especially to all the boys of similar ages that, to sing, to dance and to be part of the music’s world and arts has the same importance than sports and other activities during our development, learning and obviously for the rest of our lives.