SAN JOSÉ [2010]
To the 33 saved miners of San José, Chile, and to all of those who helped to free them
To the 33 saved miners of San José, Chile, and to all of those who helped to free them
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INSTRUMENTATION
full orchestra 1 picc, 2 fl, 2 ob, 2 clar (Bb), 1 clar bass, 2 bsns - 4.2.3.1 - timp, vib, camp, 2 perc, pft, 2vn, 2va, 2vc, cb DURATION
c. 11 minutes World Premiere 16 June 2011 Luhansk Philharmonic, Luhansk, Ukraine Symphony Orchestra of the Luhansk Philharmonic Miran Vaupotić, cond. |
Conductor Miran Vaupotić during the world premiere of San José
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On August 5, 2010, just after lunch, part of the San José copper mine in northern Chile collapsed underground, turning the 33 men -- aged from 19 to 63 at the time -- into prisoners.
It took 17 days to even find them alive 600 meters (nearly 2,000 feet) below, at the bottom of the century-old mine.
It then took another 52 days more before they were winched to safety through a narrow hole as the world watched on television. The miners were greeted as heroes, revered for their solidarity in the face of crisis.
However, this composition itself is primarily about human togetherness, about mutual help in need. At a time when senseless wars are being fought and millions of people are forced to leave their homes, standing together is a sign of human dignity, goodness and kindness. This is also the thing that people around the world need most.
Watching any rescue work anywhere on earth, one cannot understand how so much hatred, evil and wars are possible. What happened in San Jose in August 2010 can be seen as an example of true human togetherness. True belonging does not require you to change who you are; it requires you to be who you are.
The work is dedicated to the 33 saved miners of San José, and to all of those who helped to free them.
It is a tribute to the human togetherness and mutual help. A tribute to humanity and life.
It took 17 days to even find them alive 600 meters (nearly 2,000 feet) below, at the bottom of the century-old mine.
It then took another 52 days more before they were winched to safety through a narrow hole as the world watched on television. The miners were greeted as heroes, revered for their solidarity in the face of crisis.
However, this composition itself is primarily about human togetherness, about mutual help in need. At a time when senseless wars are being fought and millions of people are forced to leave their homes, standing together is a sign of human dignity, goodness and kindness. This is also the thing that people around the world need most.
Watching any rescue work anywhere on earth, one cannot understand how so much hatred, evil and wars are possible. What happened in San Jose in August 2010 can be seen as an example of true human togetherness. True belonging does not require you to change who you are; it requires you to be who you are.
The work is dedicated to the 33 saved miners of San José, and to all of those who helped to free them.
It is a tribute to the human togetherness and mutual help. A tribute to humanity and life.
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© 2026 Peter Machajdík. All rights reserved.
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