MANAUS, BRAZIL – Semester at Sea students discovered that music is universal when they attended Teatro Amazonas’ free weekly orchestral concert on Feb. 2. Amazonas Filarmonica (Amazonas Philharmonic) is a professional orchestra that was founded in 1997 to promote the arts in Manaus, Brazil.

Housed in the beautiful and historic Teatro Amazonas (Amazonas Theatre), which dates back to 1896, the Amazonas Filarmonica encourages appreciation for music and the arts, especially with their free weekly performance. The free performance allows college students and people on a budget to experience the enjoyment of music, no strings attached.

During the months of April and May, the Amazonas Opera Festival is held at Teatro Amazonas and attracts crowds from all around South America. It is the only festival of its kind in Latin America and it works hard to unite people through the language of music.