Peru’s University of Applied Science, or UPC, and Peruvian singer-songwriter Gian Marco inaugurated a professional musical academy Wednesday in the country’s capital city, Lima.
“Musical training must be complete,” said UPC’s Rector, Luis Bustamante. “We’re going to formally train not only composers and performers, but also music producers.”
Our students “will be responsible for waking up Peru’s music industry,” said Gian Marco, who’s late father Javier Zignago was one of Peru’s best known composers and singer. He was widely known as “Joe Danova.”
“Success depends on your personal and spiritual capacities. When I came back to Peru, many people told me that I was crazy. How was it possible that I stop working with the world’s greatest performers if here, in Peru, nothing is going on? But I thought: nothing is going to happen here until someone changes things. And so, this (academy) is a first step.”
The music academy will be located on the UPC’s campus, in Lima’s posh district of Monterrico. Other Lima universities, such as the Catholic University and the San Marcos University, also have music departments.
Gian Marco won the Grammy Latino 2005 for the best singer-songwriter album and has been named a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador in Peru.
