Music as a life project

By: Lorena Chacón

Advisory Office of Communications

The story of César Augusto Rincón Martínez has been marked by his great artistic and musical talent, leadership, charisma, and solid academic background, which have led him to success and recognition on the music scene and in teaching. Rincón graduated with a degree in Music from the University of Cundinamarca in 2010. He currently teaches clarinet and saxophone, and arranges for the Symphony Orchestra and Chamber Ensembles at Los Nogales School and Gimnasio del Norte School. He is also a saxophonist, arranger, and director of the Dinkol Arroyo Orchestra (son of Joe Arroyo).

The UCundinamarca graduate developed an early interest in music, singing alongside his father, a self-taught musician. He later joined the Pacho Municipal Symphonic Band in Cundinamarca, where he received specialized training focused on clarinet playing. He then decided to pursue his clarinet studies professionally. César states, “Music offers the opportunity to reveal to others that intangible side that only diverse artistic expressions allow us to conceive. It is an intimate way to find a unique personal language that transcends the audible and connects with the senses.”.

From his time as a student at UCundinamarca, Rincón recalls: “I arrived at the Music program in Zipaquirá when the amenities we find today didn't exist. There were many shortcomings in the infrastructure, but people's desire to study and learn prevailed. In my class, 35 of us entered, of whom 5 graduated. Over time, music puts everyone in their place, and you decide whether to face the obstacle and persevere or abandon ship and take another path, as happens in all careers.”.

I had some difficulties completing my semesters; however, thanks to my grades and participation with the student band, I managed to earn a scholarship for nine out of ten semesters. During this time, I witnessed the program gradually strengthen, eventually becoming what it is today. Along with my classmates, we were the founders or organizers of the Tropical Orchestra, which is now part of the institution.

The graduate's primary instrument is the clarinet, and he has always played the saxophone alongside it. However, like most musicians, the need to explore different instruments has led him to study and play others, such as the piano, guitar, some percussion instruments, and, of course, his voice.

Rincón doesn't have a particular favorite musical genre. Personally, he listens to music that reflects and resonates with his emotions and feelings. He finds these qualities in a wide range of musical styles, from popular genres to more classical music, ultimately focusing on the sensations and moments that music evokes.

The talented musician has always been captivated by composition; even before entering university, he had already created several pieces and spent his time trying to express musical ideas. Some time after graduating, he managed to release his first musical production called Eight Senses, with eight tracks within the Pop Ballad genre, with the idea of starting to develop a responsible commercial product that would meet their expectations.

Likewise, through his musical work, he created a product that allowed him to integrate the clarinet and saxophone as part of the musical discourse alongside his voice. Recently, in 2019, he released a second album titled Start over, His current album, which he is promoting, contains eleven tracks, also written by him, that maintain the aesthetic of romantic music. During this time, he has gradually captivated his fans with his songs and has achieved success and recognition with his productions.

On the other hand, César, a teacher and musician, has also distinguished himself as the director of the Dinkol Arroyo Orchestra for over 10 years and has been a member of various tropical music groups in Bogotá. He also played clarinet in the Cundinamarca Symphonic Band in 2007 and has performed with various chamber music and Colombian Andean music ensembles.

Finally, Rincón affirms that: “Academia will always be a pillar of knowledge, but it depends on each student to find the tools to take it a step further and become creators and multipliers of what we learn. It is the most effective way to fill technical gaps that allow us to fully exploit our musical abilities and take them to higher levels. The University of Cundinamarca allowed me to find those tools that helped me refine my knowledge, opened my eyes to new concepts and areas that I was previously unaware of, and gave me solid arguments to face a musical world that is constantly changing and evolving.”.

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