From Strike to Spotlight

In the small mountain town of Pátzcuaro, something magical was brewing. A fledgling symphony orchestra—barely a year old and full of children and beginners—was teaming up with a multicultural community choir, also with many beginners, to take on one of the great baroque operas: Dido and Aeneas by Henry Purcell.

There was no formal backing. No big sponsors. Just passion, talent, and a wild dream. Choir members sold raffle tickets, organized bingo nights, and hosted food stands at local kermeses to raise funds. Every peso went toward the goal: bringing the entire group to Mexico City for their biggest performance yet, at Los Pinos.

Then, just weeks before the concert, silence.

Messages to the venue went unanswered. Then came the blow: Los Pinos was on strike. The event was canceled. Months of effort, fundraising, and rehearsal vanished in an instant.

Panic set in.

With less than a month to go and many of the soloists only available until August 11, the group faced a crushing decision: give up… or fight for a new chance.

They chose to fight.

Leads were followed, calls made, fingers crossed. And then—almost out of nowhere—Diego, the orchestra’s violin teacher, found a connection through some Catholic organizations. That thread led to an unexpected ally: José de Jesús Aguilar—a priest known not only for his work in the Church, but also for his TV appearances on Master Chef.

He believed in the project. He pulled strings. And just like that, the doors opened.

Not just any doors—the doors of the Metropolitan Cathedral in Mexico City.

A group of amateurs, children, and passionate singers from a little town in Michoacán—many of them making music for the first time in their lives—would now perform a full opera in one of the most iconic cathedrals in Latin America.

Sometimes, the show doesn’t just go on—it gets an incredible upgrade.

Now we have an even greater opportunity—and we need your help to get there. Every donation helps bring our children, musicians, and singers to the stage.

✨ If you believe in the power of music, community, and young talent, please consider donating today.

👉 http://paypal.me/OSPATZCUA 

(In the "Note" section, please write "Mexico City" and any other message of encouragement that you'd like to share!)

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🙏 Thank you for supporting this dream.