Ahush of anticipation explodes into rapturous applause in a concert hall in Changzhou city, Jiangsu province, as Edwin Montealegre, a young conductor from Costa Rica, strides onto the stage. He takes a moment to sweep his gaze over the auditorium before raising his baton to begin the performance.
This is a culmination of years of hard work and a dream — to establish his own professional orchestra in China.
The 37-year-old conductor's journey, beginning in Shanghai, has been an unconventional one. Growing up in the tropical Central American country of Costa Rica, he graduated with a bachelor's degree in conducting in 2017.
"In 2018, my professor advised me to go to China because there was a good teacher from the Moscow State Tchaikovsky Conservatory teaching at Shanghai Conservatory of Music," Montealegre recalls. "It was an opportunity I couldn't pass up."
So, he took the plunge, arriving in Shanghai later that year to first learn Mandarin — no easy feat when learning it simultaneously with English. However, the challenge was worthwhile when he gained admission to the Shanghai Conservatory of Music's master's program in 2019.
During his studies, he became enthralled by Shanghai's vibrant arts scene and the wealth of opportunities for musicians. "Here is one of the most beautiful places in the world, especially if you're a musician. There are so many important musicians from around the world here. You have opportunities at every turn," he says.
