Fiestravaganza is the resulting fusion between the Spanish words Fiesta (festival) and Extravaganza (extravagant). The term was initially used as the title of a four-hands piano work written by Shaun in December 2015. The whacky piece reflects the cheerful vibes and animated activities of people at a spectacular festive event, which include boisterous laughter and energetic dancing.
The inspiration behind writing Fiestravaganza came about when Shaun was searching for a short but impactful four-hands work to fulfil the requirements of a chamber music module during his Bachelor years. The final task was to perform the chosen work at a public concert. Due to the scarcity of four-hands repertoire that met his criteria, Shaun decided to write one himself.
Upon sharing his performance of the piece on YouTube, it soon garnered the attention of many piano duos, who in turn performed and recorded the work themselves. Since then, Fiestravaganza has gained international success, reaching nearly 6 million cumulative views on YouTube today. It has won numerous prizes at duo competitions and has sold hundreds of copies online.
In 2022, Shaun received a grant from Germany’s Federal Ministry for Media and Culture as part of NEUSTART KULTUR. Grants were awarded to selected individuals to fund creative projects as part of efforts to restart cultural events after the devastating impact of Covid-19 on the performing arts industry. In a bid to support fellow musicians who were riling from the cultural standstill due to Covid restrictions, Shaun used the funds to form Camerata Fiestravaganza.
The chamber orchestra brings together around 40 talented musicians from diverse cultures and ethnicities, the majority of whom are current students from the three major Universities of music in Berlin Universität der Künste, Hochschule für Musik Hanns Eisler and Barenboim-Said Akademie. Under the baton of renowned American conductor Evan-Alexis Christ, the orchestra gave their debut performance together with Shaun at his “Konzertexamen” graduation concert. The event took place in the great hall of Berlin’s University of Arts for a full house of nearly 650 attendees (reduced seating capacity due to Covid). The program included the world premiere of Shaun’s own debut original work for piano and orchestra – Valsenchanté. Originally written for piano four-hands, the Enchanted Waltz was specially re-arranged for this ensemble, highlighting the capabilities of each member by playfully-interwoven melodic lines exchanged between instrument groups.
Encouraged by the positive outcome of the event, Shaun founded the Fiestravaganza International Music Academy (FIMA) the following year. Berlin’s first major piano summer academy, FIMA provides young pianists a variety of opportunities that are otherwise difficult to obtain at the start of their careers. Participants gain recognition through numerous solo performances and even get to perform with orchestra, while working with renowned instructors and guest speakers via the masterclasses/seminars offered on both modern and vintage keyboard instruments.
As the brand continues to expand, Fiestravaganza hopes to positively impact countless musicians, as the festival grows into a size worthy of its name.
