A Cultural Renaissance in Panama

Panama, the first European community established on the Pacific shores in the early fifteen hundreds  is now home to an Unesco-designated world heritage site in the old town of Panama City.  The jewel of this center is the European-style opera house opened in October of 1908 with the opera AIDA.   After this opening, Panama enjoyed the reputation of being a great and flourishing cultural center for many decades.  Unfortunately, after the second world war, the cultural scene in Panama never recovered.  Recently, and especially with the new widening of the locks of the Panama Canal, Panama as a prominent shipping center is once again poised to regain its place as an international cultural center.

In the past few years, the flourishing of the arts in the old town's renewed museums and galleries, theatres and park areas is simultaneoulsy promoted by restaurants, cafes, live music clubs, shops, hotels and apartments that are cropping up everywhere.Panama is in the midst of  creating  a new artistic center, here in Casco Viejo, a renaissance that is catching the eye of the world and drawing a new kind of tourism from the sophisticated capitals of the world.It is certainly a very exciting time,and the Ministry of Culture is moving steadily toward developing an international platform with summer festivals of dance, music, art and fashion.

It is glorious to see all the talent here, and the exposure afforded by guest performing companies from, South America, Europe, the Mid East and the USA...with a worldwide focus for the future.

A cornerstone in this cultural development is the landmark, Teatro Nacional, a replica of the most famous opera house in the world, La Scala, and home to Opera Panama in its 2 years of performances.

Fundación Opera Panamá has been created to establish Panama’s own opera company, a company dedicated to the highest artistic values in performance as well as education. As a cultural basis for Panama’s pool of outstanding talent, the Foundation offers scholarships to aid young artists.

Because opera encompasses the arts of singing, orchestra, ballet, visual arts, set design and building, lighting design and building, costume designs and making of costumes, make-up artists, wigs, etc., the production of an opera not only sets a standard of entertainment that defines the culture of the most prestigious nations, it also provides employment for many people.

At the root of all development, is the support system that brings it to life, and as Panama grows in its cultural initiative, so will its ability to attract investment in this area. A Renaissance is being born in a very strategic place on earth and the 2 hemispheres can share in its expansion.

We, living here, can enjoy, engage, and contribute to it.