Chilean youth musicians postpone Gunnison visit

Due to travel disruptions caused by an earthquake, the youth musicians of Chile’s Colegio
Bicentenario Domingo Santa María, from Puerto Montt, have postponed their planned visit to
Gunnison until 2027. The magnitude 7.7 earthquake that struck Central America on Oct. 9 forced
the closure of Tocumen International Airport in Panama City, disrupting the group’s travel plans.
In a statement to the community, Dr. Edgar Girtain, Director of Choirs and Music Education at
Western Colorado University wrote:

Dear Colleagues, Musicians, Host Families, and Community Members,
While the Chilean delegation was traveling to Santiago International Airport this past Friday, a
magnitude 7.7 earthquake struck Panama. As a result, the delegation's first connecting flight
with Copa Airlines to Panama City was canceled.
Copa Airlines initially declined to provide temporary lodging for the delegation. However, after
waiting in the departure terminal in Santiago until 3:00 a.m., the airline eventually agreed to
accommodate the group at a hotel near Santiago International Airport for two nights while we
worked to secure alternative travel arrangements.

Unfortunately, international travel involving 37 minors presents significant logistical and legal
complications. First, Chilean minors cannot leave the country without notarized parental
authorization specifying the arrangements for their departure. In this case, the students had
authorization to travel on Saturday accompanied by Mr. Ojeda, but not under alternative
arrangements. Obtaining new authorizations would have been extremely difficult, with their
parents approximately 1,000 kilometers away in Puerto Montt, most notaries closed for the
weekend, and Monday being a national holiday in Chile.

Second, the delegation's final destination was Denver, not Gunnison. Even if we had been able
to secure the necessary authorizations, the widespread flight cancellations made it impossible

to find an itinerary that would allow the entire delegation to travel together. After working with
both the travel agency that booked the original flights and Copa Airlines, we were unable to find
available seats for all 43 members of the delegation on any carrier for at least the next month.
The alternatives would have required the students to travel in several separate groups, arriving
in Denver at different times throughout the coming week. Many would have needed to navigate
U.S. customs and immigration without their usual chaperones in Miami or Houston, and we still
had no reliable plan for transporting everyone from Denver to Gunnison. Although the students
themselves were willing to attempt this alternative, their parents were understandably unwilling
to authorize travel under such uncertain circumstances.
After two exhausting days of attempting to find a solution, we have had to make the
difficult decision to postpone the residency. This decision came after the delegation was
required to leave its hotel in Santiago, with no viable alternative travel arrangements in sight.
As a result, the following activities on our itinerary will be canceled:

1. Tonight's welcome spaghetti dinner at St. Peter's Parish Hall
2. Monday's welcome ceremony in Kincaid Concert Hall (Community Choir rehearsal
   also cancelled)
3. Tuesday morning's concert at the Gunnison Valley Health Senior Care Center
4. Tuesday evening's concert and potluck at St. Peter's Church
5. Wednesday morning's excursion to Dillon Pinnacles and Pioneer Point
6. Wednesday evening's concert at Good Samaritan Episcopal Church
7. Thursday morning's breakfast serenade at Lake School, followed by the concert and
   lunch activities at Gunnison High School
8. Thursday evening's Chats in the Kitchen event with Juntos por Gunnison
9. Friday morning's concert at Gunnison Community School
10. Friday evening's symphonic concert in Kincaid Concert Hall at Western
11. Saturday afternoon's performance of the national anthem at the football game against
    
    Fort Lewis

We are all deeply disappointed by this unforeseeable outcome. In both Puerto Montt and
Gunnison, bringing this residency to life has required a year of arduous fundraising, detailed
coordination and planning, and countless hours of musical rehearsal and preparation. We know
how much time, care, and anticipation so many of you have invested in this endeavor, and we
share your disappointment.

Rather than abandon the work we have begun, we intend to postpone the residency until
late September 2027. This will give us an opportunity to build on the extraordinary foundation
we have established together and, ultimately, bring these young musicians to Gunnison for a
life-changing week of music and sharing. I will be in touch again next year as we begin making
arrangements for the rescheduled residency.

In the meantime, I want to personally thank each of you for the extraordinary goodwill and
generosity you have shown our young friends in Chile. Your willingness to open your homes,
classrooms, and community spaces, and to offer your time, attention, and care, has been a
remarkable expression of community and solidarity. In these chaotic and challenging times, your
generosity has been a bright beacon of hope.

Although we must wait a little longer for this reunion, I hope we can maintain that same spirit of
goodwill and look forward together to welcoming the students and teachers of Colegio Domingo
Santa María to Gunnison in 2027.

Thank you all again for your flexibility, understanding, and unwavering support.