In autumn 2015, violinist and orchestra leader Ron Davis Alvarez arrived in Sweden from Caracas, Venezuela as an exchange student. It was a shocking sight for him when arriving at Stockholm Central station he witnessed the arrival of a large group of underage unaccompanied refugees.
Ron himself grew up in poor circumstances and until that moment he had had a different image of Sweden than the one he came across with here.
After inquiring about the situation of these unaccompanied minors, he decided to find ways to help these young people, once he would have the opportunity to stay and work in Sweden. Then it happened. Ron, a musical talent raised in the Venezuelan El Sistema movement, was soon hired as artistic director of El Sistema in Sweden and thus stayed.
In April 2016, he fulfilled his promise to himself and started Dream Orchestra. An orchestra for everyone, but especially for those who needed it the most: the unaccompanied minors escaping from countries in conflict. In a refugee camp in Frillesås, a small village to the south of Gothenburg, he found his first students and here the dream started.
The news that there was an orchestra in Gothenburg that offered these young people a safe place to integrate into society and to start dreaming of a better future through music, spread like wildfire.
Today, Dream Orchestra has 184 members, 10 teachers and employed administrative staff. The activity is organized in association and works in close collaboration with the civic society, Bethlehem Church, Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra, and Academy of Music and Drama at Gothenburg University.
Frontside has existed since 2019 and is largely driven by volunteer efforts, but we are highly dependent on additional financial sponsors and fundings. All contributions are used to engage fantastic musicians, rents of venues and all other things that make the festival a magical experience.
Welcome as a member of the Frontside Chamber Music Association.
As a member, you will continuously receive our newsletters and advance information about tickets.
If you wish to donate some extra money, it would be greatly appreciated! You will then belong to our Tone-donating members and will continuously receive our newsletters and advance information about tickets, as well as be offered a glass of sparkling wine in a unique meeting with our artists during the festival days.
If you wish to sponsor the festival with larger amounts, we are extremely grateful. You will continuously receive our newsletters and advance information about tickets, as well as be offered a glass of sparkling wine in a unique meeting with our artists during the festival days, and your name will be published (upon agreement) on our website.
Our membership register contains information about names and addresses, in some cases also phone numbers and/or email addresses. The register is used only for sending out membership information. The association will not sell or otherwise share personal information with any other party. Upon leaving the association, the information will be deleted and will only remain in the records that we are required to keep for seven years according to accounting laws. For further information or if you wish to be removed from the register, please contact our treasurer, Catrin Bernsro: catrin@bernsro.se
