skip to navigation

    Classic FM

    On Air Now

    Sam Pittis 1am - 6am

    Sam Pittis

    Now Playing

    Violin Concerto Opus 14 (2) Samuel Barber Download 'Violin Concerto Opus 14 (2)' on iTunes

    Violin Concerto Opus 14 (2) artwork
    • Playlist
    • Schedule
    Listen
    • Home
    • Radio
    • News
    • Discover Music
    • Composers
    • Artists
    • Events
    • Win
    • Videos
    • Quizzes
    • Dating
    • Follow us on:
      Follow Classic FM on Twitter
      Follow Classic FM on Facebook
      Follow Classic FM on Instagram
      Follow Classic FM on Youtube

    Artists

    Landfill Harmonic

    • Landfill Harmonic Home
    • Pictures
    • News
    • More Artists

    The Recycled Orchestra: making music on a landfill site

    Meet some of the incredible youngsters from Paraguay experiencing the power of music in the Recycled Orchestra, playing on instruments made from rubbish. They're the stars of a new documentary film, Landfill Harmonic, which explores their extraordinary day-to-day lives.

    1. Landfill Harmonic movie

      1. Cateura, Paraguay

      Cateura, Paraguay, is a town built on a landfill site. Garbage collectors browse the rubbish for items they can sell, but now the Recycled Orchestra use materials they find to create their own instruments. Photo: Facebook

    2. Landfill Harmonic movie

      2. Violins made of rubbish

      The project started after a local music teacher, Favio Chavez, set up a programme to occupy the children in the town. There weren't enough instruments - until he was brought a violin, made from items taken from the landfill site. Photo: Facebook

    3. Landfill Harmonic movie

      3. The Recycled Orchestra

      After starting with just a few children and a small number of instruments, the group began to play larger instruments including cellos and drums. Photo: Facebook

    4. Landfill Harmonic movie

      4. Preparing the instruments

      Transforming trash into treasure in his workshop, Nicolas Gomez gets to work on new instruments for the group. Photo: Facebook

    5. Landfill Harmonic movie

      5. The power of music

      Music transforms these kids' lives, giving them something to focus on amid the poverty-stricken town, where drug usage is high and crime rates are soaring. Photo: Facebook

    6. Landfill Harmonic movie

      6. Favio Chavez

      "The world sends us garbage. We send back music." Inspirational words from the man behind the orchestral project, Favio Chavez, who first started making recycled instruments to help the local children in 2006. Photo: Facebook

    7. Landfill Harmonic movie

      7. Creating a violin

      It doesn't take much to transform a discarded metal box into a violin - just add a wooden bridge and some strings, and drill some sound holes, known as F holes. Photo: Facebook

    8. Landfill Harmonic movie

      8. The Recycled Orchestra

      Trumpets, guitars, clarinets, cellos - after attracting publicity from around the world, the orchestra continues to grow from strength to strength, amassing more instruments along the way. Photo: Facebook

    9. Landfill Harmonic movie

      9. A recycled band

      Performing on a double bass made from a discarded metal drum, a pipe that's been turned into a flute, and a recycled violin, a trio of performers rehearse. Photo: Facebook

    10. Landfill Harmonic movie

      10. Landfill Harmonic

      Two members of the film crew set up their shots as they create their Landfill Harmonic documentary, set for release in 2014. Photo: Facebook

    11. Landfill Harmonic movie

      11. Donations from around the world

      As news of the Landfill Harmonic film spreads far and wide, the performers are starting to receive donations of real instruments from generous musicians around the world. Here they are with their new gifts. Photo: Facebook

    12. Landfill Harmonic movie

      12. The Recycled Orchestra perform

      Music teacher Favio with a selection of his students, performing on their recycled instruments. Photo: Facebook

    13. Landfill Harmonic movie

      13. A recycled clarinet

      A young performer shows off his incredible recycled clarinet, complete with its multicoloured keys. Photo: Facebook

    14. Landfill Harmonic movie

      14. Maria plays the violin

      Maria shows off her violin skills thanks to her new recycled violin. Photo: Facebook

    15. Landfill Harmonic movie

      15. Landfill Harmonic

      Comparing and contrasting a 'real' trumpet received as a donation with one of the recycled trumpets created from the landfill site. Photo: Facebook

    16. Landfill Harmonic movie

      16. Tania and her new violin

      It might not look like a more conventional violin, but this recycled instrument is still a work of art.

    17. Landfill Harmonic movie

      17. Practising at home

      The young performers were originally given recycled violins to take home so they could practise in their own time, without the need to buy more expensive instruments. This is Ada, one of the children in the group, demonstrating her flawless technique on the violin. Photo: Facebook

    18. Landfill Harmonic movie

      18. Giving young people a chance

      "People realise that we shouldn't throw away trash carelessly," says Favio Chavez. "Well, we shouldn't throw away people, either." Photo: Facebook

    19. Landfill Harmonic movie

      19. Recycled violin

      Tania proudly shows off her recycled violin, transformed from the rubbish heap with the addition of a few strings and bits of wood. Photo: Facebook

    20. Landfill Harmonic movie

      20. Nicolas Gomez

      Nicolas Gomez, a garbage picker, shows off two of the instruments he made from the landfill site. He told the film makers creating the Landfill Harmonic documentary that he never imagined creating anything like this. Photo: Facebook

    21. Landfill Harmonic movie

      21. Behind the scenes

      Two of the film makers chat with orchestra members Ada and Marie during a break from rehearsals and shooting. Photo: Facebook

    22. Landfill Harmonic movie

      22. Favio and Nicolas

      Music teacher Favio and violin maker Nicolas show off some of their amazing creations. Photo: Facebook

    23. Landfill Harmonic movie

      23. Different sized violins

      Square, round, big, and small - they might all look different, but they sound surprisingly similar. Photo: Facebook

    24. Landfill Harmonic movie

      24. Health emergency

      Neil Barrett, Director of Photography for the Landfill Harmonic documentary, explores one of the polluted creeks that many families in the film live beside. Photo: Facebook

    25. Landfill Harmonic movie

      25. Mauricio plays a recycled double bass

      Performing on a double bass made from a discarded metal drum, Mauricio shows off his skills in the Recycled Orchestra. Picture: Facebook

    Landfill Harmonic News

    See more Landfill Harmonic News

    recycled orchestra

    These children are playing instruments using recycled materials from a landfill site

    Back to top

    Also on Classic FM

    • Global's Newsroom
    • handel
    • debussy
    • music theory
    • instruments
    • brahms
    • vivaldi
    • bach
    • tchaikovsky
    • chopin
    • andrea bocelli
    • beethoven
    • mozart
    • classical music tear jerkers
    • best classical music
    • Classic FM Live
    • classic fm requests
    • john suchet
    • piano world record
    • best pianists
    • harry potter music
    • classic fm app
    • saturday night at the movies
    • star wars soundtrack
    • best sopranos
    • best cellists
    • composer or pasta
    • music for studying
    • best violinists
    • sad music
    • composer birthdays
    • relaxing music

    Useful Links

    • Contact Us
    • Help
    • How To Listen
    • About Classic FM
    • Company Details
    • Cookies
    • Privacy NEW
    • Terms & Conditions
    • Advertise

    Download the app

    Get it on the app store Get it on Google Play

    Follow Us

    Follow Classic FM on Twitter
    Follow Classic FM on Facebook
    Follow Classic FM on Instagram
    Follow Classic FM on Youtube
    © Global 2019
    30 Leicester Square, London, WC2H 7LA