Building peace through music: Young Colombians take their talent to Qatar’s stage

Young musicians from Colombia’s Bolívar region performed alongside the Qatar Philharmonic Orchestra in Doha, highlighting a cultural diplomacy initiative that promotes peacebuilding, creates opportunities and strengthens ties between the two countries.Eight young Colombians took the stage at Katara’s Drama Theatre on Tuesday evening, performing alongside members of the Qatar Philharmonic Orchestra (QPO) before hundreds of spectators.The concert, Building Bridges Through Music: One Rhythm, Two Nations, brought Colombian rhythms to Doha, with the groups taking turns performing before joining forces for We Are the Champions, Waka Waka and Colombia Tierra Querida.For Camilo, César, Sebastián, Alan, Luis, Gustavo, Robert and Joserd, it was the culmination of a week of rehearsals, cultural visits and new friendships, far from their hometown of Santa Rosa del Sur in Colombia’s southern Bolívar region.From red to green“Santa Rosa used to be a red spot, a red municipality in Bolívar. I think now we’re beginning to see it as green,” their music teacher, trumpeter Alfredo Ramón Berrocal, told Doha News.His words reflect the challenges facing a community where Colombia’s decades-long armed conflict continues to affect everyday life. According to Colombia’s Attorney General’s Office, an armed shutdown (paro armado) in 2025 left more than 5,000 people confined in rural areas of Santa Rosa del Sur, restricting movement and access to essential supplies.Alfredo also pointed to the recruitment of minors by armed groups and limited opportunities facing young people. While some have traditionally looked to gold mining after school, he says his students increasingly aspire to university degrees and professional careers.“Through music, children develop something very real: sensitivity. And a sensitive child never harms,” he said.The eight musicians, aged between 12 and 16, were selected from 50 applicants to participate in Colombia’s Cultural and Sports Diplomacy Initiative. Since 2011, the programme has organised 202 international exchanges, benefiting more than 2,200 families.Opening Tuesday’s concert, Colombia’s Chargé d’Affaires in Qatar, Camilo Vizcaya, explained how the programme gives children from conflict-affected communities the chance to develop their talents and be recognised beyond their circumstances.“For many of these kids, the places they come from are known only through violence and negative headlines,” he said, adding that the initiative allows both the children and the world to see their communities differently.📸 صور من الحفل الموسيقي «بناء الجسور من خلال الموسيقى: إيقاع واحد، وطنان»، الذي أقيم على مسرح الدراما في #كتارا، بالتعاون مع سفارة جمهورية كولومبيا لدى دولة قطر، في أمسية موسيقية تعكس جمال التبادل الثقافي وتقارب الشعوب.📸 Photos from the musical concert “Building Bridges… pic.twitter.com/4wZjUXB2Y4— كتارا | Katara (@kataraqatar) November 3, 2026 A bigger stage, new possibilitiesFor 14-year-old clarinetist Camilo Torres Díaz, rehearsing with professional musicians was an opportunity rarely available back home.“In Santa Rosa, there are hardly any people who play the clarinet,” he told Doha News.The experience, he said, motivated him to return home and do what he had always done, only better.For 12-year-old trumpeter César Guevara Ojeda, the journey was also about family. During his interview, he made a point of thanking his parents and relatives for their support, saying he felt honoured to be part of an experience that had introduced him to something new.Beyond rehearsals, the children explored Doha, visiting Souq Waqif and Katara Cultural Village. A journey that comes full circleAmong the musicians they met was Richard Alonso Díaz, QPO’s Colombian tuba player, who saw something of himself in the visiting students.He began playing music at six in Duitama, Boyacá, never imagining he would one day perform professionally in Qatar.“For me, it’s like seeing myself reflected in the children,” he said.“It doesn’t matter what passport you have or where you were born. For music, there are no borders, there are no limits.”The concert also celebrated growing ties between Colombia and Qatar. Vizcaya noted that this was the second consecutive year of Colombia’s cultural diplomacy exchanges in Qatar, while the young musicians departed Doha on Wednesday aboard Qatar Airways’ inaugural service to Bogotá.Back in Santa Rosa del Sur, Alfredo hopes the children will share what they learned with their classmates. He said he hopes one of them will eventually become a music teacher and pass that knowledge on to others.After a week in Qatar, the eight young musicians are heading home with new experiences, stories to share, and a clearer picture of just how far music can take them.انطلاق الحفل الموسيقي «بناء الجسور من خلال الموسيقى: إيقاع واحد، وطنان»، الذي تقيمه #كتارا بالتعاون مع سفارة جمهورية كولومبيا لدى دولة قطر، على مسرح الدراما، بحضور السيد سيف سعد الدوسري، نائب المدير العام لـ #كتارا ومدير إدارة الموارد البشرية، وعدد من أصحاب السعادة السفراء… pic.twitter.com/7AoPA3vOwM— كتارا | Katara (@kataraqatar) November 3, 2026