The piano, the salon tradition, and music education in San Juan de Pasto through the life story of the composer Javier Fajardo Chaves (1950-2011)

Abstract

Javier Fajardo Chaves was a composer who led the transformation of music education at the Universidad de Nariño in Pasto, Colombia, from the University of Nariño. Biographical studies about Fajardo Chaves have pointed out the impact of his work as a composer and educator in the local context. However, these studies have not explored his early years considering the relationship between Fajardo Chaves' early musical training and his socio-cultural context. By presenting and information gathered in interviews and documentary sources, this article inquires into Fajardo Chaves' early years to study the characteristics of music education in Pasto during the mid-20th century. This three-part analysis considers Pasto's characteristics during the 1950s, the role that salon music tradition played in shaping music education for children in 1950s Pasto, and the impact that the Music School of the University of Nariño had on the musical training of the city. Ultimately, I argue that the study of Fajardo Chaves' childhood suggests that, to understand musical education in Pasto in the mid-20th century, it is necessary to consider practices that articulated the institutional and the private spheres.