The multi level impact of Walter Aparicio and the Foundation for Bolivian Artists 

Michelle Lynne: Hey everybody and welcome back to the Fearless Artist Podcast. I’m your host Michelle Lynne, and today I’m very pleased to re-welcome my friend and colleague Walter Aparicio. Walter, thank you for being here again.

Walter Aparicio: Thank you, Michelle, for having me.

Michelle Lynne: Walter and I had a beautiful conversation last week about his Foundation for Bolivian Artists, and we’re going to be getting into that. And then, for whatever reason, we had a tech hiccup and all of Walter’s side was recorded and mine wasn’t. So I did think about releasing the episode as, like, a monologue on your end.

Walter Aparicio: Ha ha!

Michelle Lynne: But, uh, yeah, thank you for being here, and I’m excited to chat with you about your foundation because I do think so highly of what you’re doing, and I’m excited for our audience to get to know you and what you’re doing. So, would you please introduce yourself and share a little bit?

Walter Aparicio: Yes, of course. I’m Walter Aparicio. I’m a pianist, and like many of your guests and pianists around the world, I have a kind of portfolio career where I play concerts… I teach, I accompany, I teach courses. And now I’m in the non-profit world, and my non-profit is called Foundation for Bolivian Artists. We seek out musicians from Bolivia and grant them an experience of a recital debut in New York City.

Michelle Lynne: Amazing. Yes, and a portfolio career is so great. I’d love that you’re introducing yourself that way because that is absolutely what most of our musicians are pursuing. You actually just flew back in last night from Arizona. You had a recital there.

Walter Aparicio: That’s right. That’s right.

Michelle Lynne: In between practicing, performing, running your non-profit, you also teach at the Manhattan School of Music in the pre-college division.

Walter Aparicio: That’s right. Yeah. And, and Michelle came to give a really beautiful lecture on being fearless and having the fearless mindset for these pre-college students. And these pre-college students were really kind of astounded, and they’re listening and taking it all in. And hopefully, as they grow in their careers, they can have that real mindset.

Michelle Lynne: Yeah, thank you for that. It was a real honor to be with them and to see you as well, teaching your piano lit class. As I walked in, you were showing late Beethoven sonatas, and I think it’s incredible that these students have such a rich education from a young age. And some of them— I mean, one girl said that she had already started her own non-profit; they were pursuing different projects. And it’s so great to see younger students light up with the possibility of what a career could look like for them.

Walter Aparicio: That’s right. That’s right. And, sometimes they’re quiet, but I could see that, especially in your lecture, they could express themselves so thoughtfully when you pushed them a little bit, you know, they really need to be kind of thinking about these things.

Michelle Lynne: Yeah, as we all do. So, yeah, it was a great pleasure to meet you in person in New York, and when I was there, you got to share with me a little bit about the foundation, and that’s when I knew I had to have you on so you could share with our fellow musicians. Tell me why you started the foundation. You’ve shared already the intention of it, but a little bit about the origin story.

Walter Aparicio: So, I was born in Bolivia, but I grew up in the United States, and always I was the only Bolivian in the room. And even though I grew up kind of in a more Latin American community, I was still the only Bolivian. And so we felt, like, in a way, very different from all my other friends and things. So, at home, it was like we were in Bolivia. We had the culture, we had the food, we had all the music. And so that was really special for me growing up. And actually, it was in my master’s at Manhattan School, where my professor asked me if I knew any Bolivian composers that possibly I could play. And I had no idea, and I was quite embarrassed. And, you know, it was a time when it wasn’t readily available to find… So I did eventually go to the National Conservatory in La Paz and was able to find music by Bolivian composers. And it was kind of really powerful because it’s this music—I already was kind of connecting to a similar style of music, like, uh, Ginastera, Bartók—music that was rooted in folk and rhythm and percussion, all this stuff. But when I found the Bolivian folk music—I’m sorry, piano music that’s also rooted in folk—it was like coming home. It was so familiar to me.

Michelle Lynne: Wow.

Walter Aparicio: That’s when I started programming this music, and that really started my journey into Bolivian classical music. It was fantastic. And so that’s, in a way, my performing career, but the foundation really started during COVID, I guess—my idea was through Instagram, actually, which is now, you know, 25 years later, after I was able to find these scores, I was able to find all these Bolivian musicians that were just playing, sharing their music, sharing their videos. And then some of them were in the United States, some of them were in Bolivia, and there were other parts of South America; some of them were in Europe. And I felt, “Why aren’t these musicians coming here?” So I was kind of thinking, “What can I do to bring them here and to create a community?” And so that, that was really kind of the start of it.

Michelle Lynne: It’s amazing. It’s so impressive to me how, first of all, what a beautiful comment from your teacher to start you on this journey of discovering your heritage. It’s like a rich upbringing. You’re saying that you had the culture in your home, even though you’re growing up in the United States. That’s just so beautiful. And then just one comment started you on this journey of discovering this richness. How would you describe it? You said “coming home,” the music itself. How does that differ from what you are currently playing? Like, how did it add more depth to your programming?

Walter Aparicio: Well, you know, we all grow up playing Western European classics, which is really incredible and wonderful. And I love all the music. But in a way, I felt like I was looking at it through a portal, through a window where I wasn’t a part of it, necessarily, even though we learn about all these kinds of German Ländler, Polish mazurkas—you learn about it and you understand, but it’s not really a part of who you are. And so what I found is that in this music, I was able to connect in a more deep way, in a more natural way. And it was so obvious to me what these rhythms are, what these sounds are trying to imitate because I’ve been hearing them my whole life.

Michelle Lynne: It’s amazing. Are there particular composers that you would recommend for people listening to get just their toes wet in Bolivian music?

Walter Aparicio: Absolutely. So, the most well-known nationalist composer is Eduardo Caba—C. A. B. A.

Michelle Lynne: Mm hmm.

Walter Aparicio: He wrote a set of pieces called Aries Indios, and that translates to “Indian heirs.” And so there’s…

Michelle Lynne: Okay.

Walter Aparicio: …music. They’re rooted in folk, rooted in dance, rooted in tradition. And it also expresses a lot of the Andean culture, which is present in South America, particularly in Bolivia.

Michelle Lynne: It’s amazing how much depth, culture, and richness there is in music, and as you’re saying, like, looking on the other side—as a Canadian, I also feel a little bit like that. Like, yes, I study the German composers or Austrian composers, but I guess it doesn’t really connect with who I am, my culture, you know. I mean, of course—yeah, it must have been so meaningful for you to go down this journey. But you’re talking so effortlessly, like, “Yeah, so then I decided to bring them here.” But I know that there’s like a huge story between that thought and making it happen. So walk me through a little bit about the foundation.

Walter Aparicio: We had to incorporate, we had to do all this. Uh, and to me, the journey—that’s the most challenging part, or was the most challenging part in getting this non-profit started—was doing all the paperwork, making sure that everything, all the administration, was being done well. And so that’s kind of another hat that I had to put on. As musicians, we’re not really taught to do any of this, and so it was kind of new to me. And so, of course, then we—I had to build a board of directors, and they really helped me in this whole process. And the first thing we did for our first event—and this is our second year doing it only—was we put out a call to Bolivian musicians, and we started in piano, because that’s what I know. Uh, there are fewer opportunities for piano in general, so I thought that was kind of important. And we put out a call to audition and just basically send three contrasting videos, and that was it… and we got—I don’t know, I think in the first year we got 25 applications.

Michelle Lynne: Amazing. Mm.

Walter Aparicio: Of course, it was the first time we were doing it, and there were really very few guidelines.

Michelle Lynne: Hmm. Mm hmm.

Walter Aparicio: Of home videos. We got a lot of people taking videos on their phone, which was one of my main concerns because we didn’t want to leave anyone out.

Michelle Lynne: Yeah.

Walter Aparicio: Taking a video from your phone is just fine. You can tell how somebody plays, you know.

Michelle Lynne: Mm hmm. Mm hmm. Yeah.

Walter Aparicio: So those kinds of things—I thought we wanted to take out the barriers from all the classical music, um, these kinds of competitions in classical music where you may win a prize, but then you have to pay 500, perhaps. And so we want to take out these barriers, and so there’s no application fee. The videos can be pretty much, as whatever quality you can send that you’re capable of doing, and if you are lucky enough to be chosen for this concert, we take care of everything.

Michelle Lynne: That’s incredible. So you’re talking like flights, hotel…

Walter Aparicio: Flights, lodging, meals—whatever, whatever really you need during your stay in New York, you will just have to focus on playing, and we’re here to help you, you know.

Michelle Lynne: And why are you so overwhelmingly generous? That is just such a beautiful prize.

Walter Aparicio: Well, I think because I came from a family that, uh, first of all, none of my family members are classical musicians. I’m the only one, and so it was very new to my family, and we didn’t grow up very wealthy at all, and we were immigrants. I didn’t have those opportunities. So I thought that taking out the barriers for someone else would be really important, especially coming from a poor country like Bolivia. If they win the prize and they can’t afford to come to New York on their own, then they can’t do it. It’s just not going to be possible. So this is the only way really for it to happen.

Michelle Lynne: Um, yes. I had a conversation this morning with someone who was talking about some competitions that you win that you end up having to pay for, and so this just sounds like such a beautiful opportunity. This is the second year. How was the first year for you? How was it received?

Walter Aparicio: It was astounding. Actually, it surpassed my expectations.

Michelle Lynne: Wow.

Walter Aparicio: [It] had a beautiful audience, and what was most impactful to me was that we were able to create a space for a lot of people—actually, but specifically the Bolivian community from this area came out to support.

Michelle Lynne: Yeah, it’s incredible. Mm.

Walter Aparicio: Because they’re Bolivian. Because it is a sense of pride for them to have anything to do with the country. And you know, we’re a small country and we’re a small community. So anything that pertains to the country, or anything that people come out for…

Michelle Lynne: Hmm.

Walter Aparicio: So I thought that was really beautiful—to have the support. And our artist last year was Sergio Escalera, and he is actually living in Portugal right now.

Michelle Lynne: Okay.

Walter Aparicio: He played a beautiful, beautiful recital, and it was so interesting because he finished the recital and actually the lights turned on, and maybe about one minute of clapping later, continuous clapping…

Michelle Lynne: Wow.

Walter Aparicio: …they turned the lights back off, and he did an encore.

Michelle Lynne: Oh, incredible. Mm.

Walter Aparicio: And so, it was so beautiful because they wouldn’t leave.

Michelle Lynne: Mm.

Walter Aparicio: The audience was like, “Let’s have more.” So that was very interesting.

Michelle Lynne: I have chills because I know the feeling—the power of that moment. You’re talking about bringing people together. You’re talking about bringing an artist to the States. Was it his first time there?

Walter Aparicio: Um, I think he went to school in Boston at some point; he had been to New York, you know, here and there.

Michelle Lynne: But first recital, right?

Walter Aparicio: Oh, first full recital. Yeah. Yeah, I think what we want to create—we want to create a special moment for the artists. We want them to share who they are. As an artist, you know, it’s part of our mission that, especially in our application process, when they share and when they apply to have a proposed program—and in the proposed program, of course, there have to be some works by Bolivian composers—but also to build a program and show us who they are as an artist. And I think that’s actually really useful for the applicants because even if you’re not chosen, you get to think about that. You get to kind of think, “What do you want to share with the world?”

Michelle Lynne: Mhm.

Walter Aparicio: [Do] you want to be different from the next person? You know, we…

Michelle Lynne: Yeah.

Walter Aparicio: …really love all the classical programs that, I don’t know, if you want to go hear all four ballades, maybe you’ll go hear Yuja Wong. Do we need to hear this person next door doing that? Would it be as interesting if that’s who you are, maybe? But it could be much more interesting, and I want the applicants to think about that, and they really surprised us.

Michelle Lynne: Oh, wow. Was it difficult to choose your winner last year?

Walter Aparicio: It was, it…

Michelle Lynne: Yeah.

Walter Aparicio: Um, we have, we have like three finalists usually, and then the selection committee chooses one person.

Michelle Lynne: Okay. And you’re about to do your concert for this year’s winner, if I understand.

Walter Aparicio: Yes. It’s already next week, February 28th.

Michelle Lynne: Okay.

Walter Aparicio: Really excited. Um, we have a wonderful pianist from the city of La Paz—where I’m from, actually—and he’s coming to perform a really, just very kind of energetic recital, full of Latin American dance rhythms, of course, Bolivian music. And actually, all the Bolivian music is a little more modern; it’s, uh, from the mid-20th century.

Michelle Lynne: And what are you most looking forward to after having your concert last year that was so memorable? What are you hoping to experience this time?

Walter Aparicio: Um…

Michelle Lynne: Mm.

Walter Aparicio: I think I want to show our audience that every artist is unique.

Michelle Lynne: Hmm.

Walter Aparicio: Of course, it’s not going to be a carbon copy. It’s a whole new person. It’s a whole new program. And for people to keep discovering the music, you know, it’s interesting. Uh, our mission is manifold. We want to bring the artist to have this wonderful experience…

Michelle Lynne: Yeah.

Walter Aparicio: …kind of jumpstart their career because most of these musicians are young and they’re kind of, you know, in the competition circuit and all this stuff, so they may not get this kind of opportunity yet in their careers. So that’s one of the, uh, one of the prongs, basically. And then we also get the opportunity to share Bolivian culture, Bolivian composers, Bolivian music to the New York audience. So it’s really kind of like a cultural exchange, showing that there are brilliant and wonderful musicians from this small country kind of thriving outside, all over the place. And so it’s that exchange—I think that’s really important. So many things happen in this one evening.

Michelle Lynne: Yeah, and also, through the whole application process—as you’re introducing this music to many new people, opening up the possibility to create programs around it—I mean, many more people are thinking and creating and programming this music because of you. And that’s a multi-impactful initiative that you’ve taken.

Walter Aparicio: That’s right. Yeah. And so, yeah, once they kind of build a program, hopefully they’re playing it for other people, right? Hopefully they’re in their own towns, in their own cities and their own colleges—maybe they’re introducing their professors to Bolivian music. Right?

Michelle Lynne: That’s such a full-circle moment because it was your teacher who said to you, “Is there any Bolivian composers that you know of?” Yeah.

Walter Aparicio: And actually, I do know one participant who’s from Florida. I think he was the first Bolivian student that his professor had met, and he went out and he actually bought my CD.

Michelle Lynne: Oh, wow. Wow.

Walter Aparicio: And he was trying to learn about Bolivian music for this student.

Michelle Lynne: How does it feel for you to know that you’re making an impact in so many different ways with this one idea?

Walter Aparicio: Um, I don’t know. It feels great. It feels, wonderful, to connect with all these musicians—actually, in a way, for me, that’s the most fulfilling part—and then noticing that they actually all know each other. Also, everybody’s really talking about this, and there’s kind of a movement, and hopefully it’s something that they can continue to strive for, continue to think about and work on their programming, so that then maybe next time they can get it, you know, so it’s, in a way, pushing them to be excellent, you know, and so if they perhaps didn’t get it this time, they’re going to practice harder, they’re going to make better videos, they’re going to program more thoughtfully. And so I find that that’s the most kind of fulfilling part. And it’s not just about bringing one winner, but really making a difference and pushing all the other musicians to excel.

Michelle Lynne: Mm hmm. That’s amazing. You mentioned briefly the legal aspect was, you know, a headache to set up, let’s say. What other obstacles did you find setting up this foundation, getting the application process going? I mean, you’ve done an enormous project. It’s not small at all what you’ve pulled off. What were some of the hangups, and what kept you going when you hit them?

Walter Aparicio: Well, um, just waiting. I think one has to be really patient with anything that has to do with incorporating and any kind of legal paperwork. So it’s just the waiting—”Is this going to happen?” Sometimes we’ve had issues about, um, all the Bolivians need a visa to come here.

Michelle Lynne: Mm hmm.

Walter Aparicio: Those kinds of processes can be just really frustrating. And so sometimes they can deny your visa, and those kinds of things can be really challenging. But, um, we just do our best. And we even have a backup—we know we have an alternate winner just in case something doesn’t work out.

Michelle Lynne: Mm hmm.

Walter Aparicio: We have to think about these things. And I don’t know, I rely so much on my board to help me and support me when things, like perhaps not going where—or we’re waiting too long, or things may not be happening yet. But, um, I think it’s because the outcome is so fulfilling that that’s what keeps me going.

Michelle Lynne: That’s amazing. And I know you mentioned you had put together a board with multiple skills, sets, and strengths that complimented your own.

Walter Aparicio: Right, exactly. So I think it’s important to have that. I have people who are in advertising, people who are in, a little bit more, in the non-profit world too, with grant writing and those kinds of things, which I think, in the future, will be more useful because we’re still a young organization and many of the grants really want, uh, longevity and a couple of years of taxes and things like this. So we’re still not ready to apply for, like, these kinds of grants. So right now it’s really a lot of crowdfunding that we’ve been doing. So those kinds of campaigns are really important to us. And for people to show their support in that way actually is really nice because it shows that it is something of interest for people.

Michelle Lynne: Hmm. Yeah, absolutely. Bringing people together. I mean, the message is so much deeper than the music, although the music is so wonderfully rich. You’re bringing together a community of people who live in America and have this heritage that they have in common. That’s, yeah, it’s so beautiful. Speaking of longevity, what are your future plans for the foundation? Where would you like to see it go? What would you like to see happen?

Walter Aparicio: Hmm. Yeah, I have a couple of ideas. You know, I’ve gotten a lot of interest from different instruments already.

Michelle Lynne: Okay, yep.

Walter Aparicio: Strings, violin, flutes—all these kinds of musicians are kind of thirsty for, “When are you going to do us?” So that… I think in the immediate next couple of iterations, I think we will have different instruments. So, I think that’s very exciting. We have to figure out logistics, but I think that can be really interesting—especially just to change it up. We don’t want to have the same concert every year, you know? Um, but you know, my big dream is, like, eventually to have some kind of scholarship fund if somebody wants to go to a summer program, even a year of university or something that they can’t afford, but they’re…

Michelle Lynne: Hmm.

Walter Aparicio: …talented and want to do this. We would love to kind of be able to fund something like this. In addition to our concerts, of course, maybe we have concerts in different cities.

Michelle Lynne: Mm hmm. There’s a big Bolivian community in Washington, D.C., and Northern Virginia, so I think a concert there could be in the works. You know, it could be a mini little tour. That’s amazing. And for you, I mean, as a pianist, as a performing active pianist, how do you feel about giving someone else a stage? Does that feel like another role that you play, or you’re facilitating in this area?

Walter Aparicio: Um, yeah, well, I think that I can’t be the only person promoting this music.

Michelle Lynne: Yeah.

Walter Aparicio: There’s too much of it, and I’m just one person playing a few concerts here and there. So, um, for it to be out there, I think it is kind of part of my mission too—to put a spotlight on the country, the composers, the music. So I think I can’t be the only one. I’m happy to give the stage to someone else too.

Michelle Lynne: Yeah, it’s amazing because in this way you’re so generous, and you’re also creating space for other people to step into. And I think that’s a level up in leadership. You can either be the one doing everything, or you can rise a level higher and say, “I’m going to create space for people to come in and take their own initiative,” and you give ownership to people. And I’m also just thinking of all those applicants— I mean, 25 last year, and I’m assuming a similar or higher number this year. And they’re all now performing Bolivian composers’ repertoire, sharing that with their communities. I mean, you’re spreading this message in an organic, beautiful way. I think it’s just amazing what you’ve done.

Walter Aparicio: Thank you. Yeah. Well, in a way, I’m saying to them, “Don’t forget that there are Bolivian composers.” You…

Michelle Lynne: Yes. Yeah.

Walter Aparicio: …they may be entrenched in all the Beethoven sonatas, which is amazing. Um, in a way it’s like, “Don’t forget, there’s this other stuff out there,” you know.

Michelle Lynne: Yeah, absolutely. I mean, I’m definitely going to go listen as soon as we’re done with this interview. Tell us a little bit more about the concert on February 28th, though—I’m assuming you’ll be posting some clips, or how can we see if we’re not in New York then?

Walter Aparicio: Uh, yes, of course. So, our winner this year is a wonderful pianist, José Navarro-Silberstein, and he’s coming next week—actually, next Tuesday exactly—and his concert will be really fantastic, full of energy. Yeah, so February 28th, 7:30 p.m. at Merkin Hall at Kauffman Music Center. And, uh, I’ll be posting clips on our Instagram everywhere. And, uh, if you’re not in the New York area, of course, you can go to our website and learn more about this artist, who actually lives in Brussels right now.

Michelle Lynne: Oh.

Walter Aparicio: It’s close to you.

Michelle Lynne: So we can all follow along?

Walter Aparicio: So, my Instagram is wfaparicio, and there you can find me and the foundation as well—and, yeah, even learn about my dogs.

Michelle Lynne: And you have a website for the foundation as well?

Walter Aparicio: Yep. Uh, bolivianartistfoundation.org. There you can learn more about our programs and last year’s winner, this year’s winner—all that information is there.

Michelle Lynne: So, we always finish with an action point, as you know. What’s one thing that somebody listening should do—besides, if you know any Bolivian artists, make sure you send them to Walter’s page so they can apply for next year? For the average musician out there who’s listening, who has an idea, who thinks, “Oh, it would take a foundation, it would take a legal process, it would take creating a board, I would have to raise money, crowdfunding—oh no, I didn’t learn any of this in school”—what’s your wisdom to share with them?

Walter Aparicio: I would say just start.

Michelle Lynne: Yeah.

Walter Aparicio: One step at a time, and you’re not going to create the biggest thing as the first iteration. Our organization is still kind of telling us what it needs to be, what it wants to be in our second year, and without creating this first step, then we wouldn’t have had it at all. So, I would say just start.

Michelle Lynne: Yeah, that’s really good advice. I also heard something similar from someone on the government board who was giving wisdom about a local chamber music festival, and he said, “Plan to do it successfully for three years.” And so, if you have to do the minimum, smallest version in order that you can make sure that it’s going to happen—rather than having something huge and not being able to sell it out or whatever—plan for longevity. And so I just think about how you’re building this. This is so great. You have a team around you; you’ve got supportive people in the audience. I’m looking forward to hearing how great the recital goes on the 28th. And, of course, I wish I could be in the audience. Thank you so much for taking the time today to share, and just all the best to you as you prepare in the last week before this concert.

Walter Aparicio: Thank you, Michelle.

Michelle Lynne: Okay, everybody. Thanks for listening. Make sure you take a screenshot, share this to your stories, and tag us, and we will see you on the next episode.
Be fearless.