The Venezuelan young woman who in 3 months stopped selling fruit...

Three months ago, the 24-year-old sold fruit with her mother in Yaracuy, in central-west Venezuela. She left the country for the first time in a bizarre way and now takes selfies with the Eiffel Tower in the background.

He also collects praise in French.

“She is an extremely talented, hard-working and intelligent young woman who will have a great career”, foresees in a conversation with BBC News Mundo Romain Fievet, from the Paris-Mozart orchestra, which together with the French capital Philharmonic organized the Maestra contest, for professionals women.

That was the beginning of a few hectic months for the Venezuelan director.

Marcano, a student at El Sistema, a famous model for training young musicians created in the 1970s in Venezuela, lived in Caracas, where he combined law studies with music.

“I took advantage of any opportunity to conduct an orchestra or workshop. Last year was the most active because I stopped directing the orchestra I had in Caracas and made a plan across the country to conduct several orchestras,” she tells BBC News Mundo ( BBC Spanish service) over the phone from Paris.

In March 2019, a latent desire and Google opened a new window.

‘I took advantage of any opportunity to conduct an orchestra or workshop’, remembers Venezuelan conductor – Photo: Masha Mosconi / BBC

“I was thinking it was time to participate in an orchestral conducting contest. I turn on the computer and search for ‘orchestral conducting contest’ and start scrolling down and down and find La Maestra. I started to understand what it was all about. . It was only for women, and it caught my attention too much. ”

It looked perfect, but a three-digit problem arose.

“I see that the fee (the cost of registration) is 150 euros (R $ 950) and I get discouraged, like every Venezuelan who has an illusion and sees money slip out of his hands. And then you say: I can’t, maybe in another time”.

“One hundred and fifty euros is a big fortune, but if the contest said 50, it would also be a big fortune. I had forgotten about it, but it was always latent. I imagined myself winning the contest, competing, winning.”

Months later, between July and August 2019, she asked for help.

“I decided to look for ways with friends and family from abroad to get the money and be able to participate, but I do it just three weeks before the deadline. To borrow money from a friend, you must talk to him at least one month or two months before the person plans and can reserve the 150 “.

The money arrived, she applied and at the end of October 2019 they confirmed that she had been selected for the contest, which would take place in March 2020.

Marcano asked for help to raise money with friends and family – Photo: Masha Mosconi / BBC

“I never thought I would participate in this game,” he said.

Romain Fievet, from the Paris-Mozart orchestra: “We received 220 applications and the jury unanimously chose Glass Marcano. Artistically, his videos revealed an authentic charisma, a lot of energy, a true knowledge of the scores and, obviously, body rhythm.”

“As soon as she heard that she had been selected, she approached us to tell us about her difficulties in reaching Paris and covering the costs of participation.”

In March, however, there was no Paris, but coronavirus.

“Everything stopped. The message that came to me said it was postponed to September. The problem arose in May, when other parts of the world started to open up and the pandemic was intensifying in Venezuela”

“I’m going to Yaracuy, because my mother told me that she opened a grocery store and that I can work there, collect (money) and buy clothes for the contest. It seemed like an excellent idea, because I needed some clothes to come to Paris”.

But Venezuela’s airports remained closed and she was afraid to try to take the road to Bogotá – a route she feared becoming infected with.

“The news came out that there would be a humanitarian flight on September 14th and that’s when all the preparation to take me on that plane to Madrid started.”

During the pandemic and with its borders closed, the Spanish embassy in Caracas chartered flights for the transportation of stranded passengers in Venezuela, with preference for those with Spanish passports. It was not the case with Marcano.

“At that time I still didn’t know how to get a place. All I know is that many people have mobilized to give me a place.”

Like many, Marcano also had setbacks due to the coronavirus pandemic – Photo: Masha Mosconi / BBC

“The Paris Mozart orchestra and the Philharmonic supported her by contacting the French embassy in Caracas to get a visa and a seat on a humanitarian flight. She was determined, showed courage and determination, and that is what it takes to be a director. ”

Upon arriving at the airport, a French officer said to Marcano:

“Daughter, who are you? We didn’t even get as many emails with the president to get him on the plane as we did with you.”

When she left, she barely realized it was her first flight, the first time she left the country: her focus was on the contest.

Marcano arrived a few hours after the competition started. And he went up to the podium.

“In many moments I felt that I was not in reality. It was a new experience for me, I was impressed with everything. I felt that I was on another planet. It is not easy, especially if I have to do it in a language other than yours.”

‘In many moments I felt I was not in reality’, remembers Marcano about participating in a competition – Photo: Personal archive / Glass Marcano / BBC

She used English, “but they didn’t understand me”, laughs.

He was not intimidated by rivals – who had excellent training and opportunities to travel the world from an early age.

“People on the jury told me that they were surprised that I reached the semifinals with such a high level in the competition.”

She did not win, but won a special prize.

Regency is not an accessible world for women, who gradually seek to break this barrier with the baton.

Marcano, however, did not exactly have this agenda in mind when building his path.

“It never crossed my mind to want to represent women. I wanted to be a conductor to go crazy on stage. Women in music are more inclined to be orchestral instrumentalists than conductors, but whoever wants to be a conductor must work for that. Since I wanted to be one, it never left my head ”

Although his initial idea was to return to Venezuela, finish his studies and then leave, now that he is already in Paris he will continue studying in the city he met on television and in which he still does not believe he lives.

Despite the Venezuelan economic situation, in Europe the musicians recognize El Sistema, a program that boosted great Venezuelan musicians like Gustavo Dudamel.

“I don’t know how long I’ll be here, but I’m ready for what’s to come.”

Compared to Caracas and Yaracuy, she is surprised by the organization and operation of urban transport. And, of course, with the supermarket with fixed prices and within reach of almost everyone.

“In Venezuela, we live in constant stress because prices rise every day, but your salary does not, and then you start with the stress of having to work harder, in search of a way to survive”.

Glass Marcano in Paris – Photo: Personal archive / Glass Marcano / BBC

Now she is getting help, but she needs to start work and earn money.

“The idea is that your problem is not having to go to the bread line, which is what we have in Venezuela. Here we are better off, but I have a family to help.”

“If I need to work on something other than music and help me financially and my family, of course I do. I did it in Venezuela and I can do it here too”.

The whim she confesses with modesty is to have a beer whenever she wants, anecdote of an emotional trajectory that in Paris do not want to overshadow her musical career.

“We must help her to deepen her knowledge and protect her from this pleasant and compassionate reputation that focuses more on her personal history than on conducting an orchestra,” said Fievet.

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