Installed in Brussels since the end of her formative stage, Ana Santisteban (Cuenca, 1990) combines teaching with the research of new artistic and creative proposals around the classical guitar with an ambition, that of bringing the universe in which she has lived since she was 8 years old to new generations, opening the door to new sensory experiences with a common thread of six strings.
Ana Santisteban completed her musical training in Cuenca until she encountered the lack of higher education options, which prompted her to pack her guitar and head to Murcia. Once that phase was resolved, she felt the need to continue evolving. «I felt I had to pursue it,» she explains to Europa Press in an interview conducted from the Cincuentenario Park in the Belgian capital.
But Spain was too limiting for her, and looking beyond the continent, she found the opportunity to continue progressing in the capital of Europe, where Professor Antigoni Goni continued to widen her path to excellence in the six strings.
Two years later, she completed her academic journey in Maastricht while also starting to monetize her expertise through teaching in Brussels, which led her to establish herself in the city, beyond her necessary two out of every seven weeks in Cuenca to reconnect with her roots and gather strength.
Training, teaching, language learning, and concert preparation complete Ana Santisteban’s day, with teaching serving as the fuel for everything else. «I learn a lot by teaching. I really enjoy sharing and helping other artists develop as guitarists and musicians.»
ALMOST 30 YEARS OF LOVE STORY
It was at the age of eight when she received her first guitar for her First Communion. Although there wasn’t much musical background in the family, she admits that it had always caught her attention, almost since she was «of age.»
«I was greatly influenced by summers with my aunt in Cadiz, where I heard a guitar that stayed with me,» she recalls, admitting that this was the first step in abandoning her initial intention of following her father’s advice to play the recorder.
Her subsequent training led her to continue growing until, during high school, doubts arose. It was Professor José Mota who encouraged her not to give up playing the guitar.
LEGENDS AND AROMAS
Currently, Ana Santisteban offers a show that combines chords, storytelling, and scents, a project that involves «telling stories with music and smell.»
A program with five pieces, each with a «personalized scent based on the historical period in which it was composed» as an «anchor to the location» of the exact point where they originated.
«All of this creates a special scent based on the piece that is going to be performed,» she explains, using Joaquín Rodrigo’s ‘Invocation and Dance’ as an example, one of the pieces in the program, written in homage to Manuel de Falla. «It speaks of a gypsy spell that is cast to attract a spirit, with rosemary, incense, and basil as scents.»
The intention is to create an atmosphere in which the spectator «immerses themselves in the sound» also through smell and «embarks on a journey through time, art, in a different way.»
She argues that musicians are also obligated to «update» their art when proposing it. «The typical classical concert where everyone sits, listens, and applauds is no longer sufficient. Something more must be offered.»
As a key, she suggests «letting the imagination run wild» as a recipe to attract young audiences to the stage. The result of the unique concert offered by Santisteban is that the spectator «leaves the concert wanting to know the name of the composer to listen to them again.»
ONE STEP FURTHER
In her ongoing artistic creation work, she is already thinking about «going a little further,» and although constrained by the lack of time due to her multitasking, she does not rule out incorporating a painter or a dancer who could combine their art with a guitar concert.
She also entertains the idea of incorporating light shows that enhance a performance, always with the premise of letting the imagination soar. «I could spend the whole day thinking of new things.»
She defends this in a discipline where she is certain that there is no threat from the evolution of Artificial Intelligence. «We all appreciate authenticity. There are things that happen in a concert that cannot be experienced in a video. Many things happen in a concert and there is direct communication with the spectator in an experience that cannot be matched by other means.»
RAISING AWARENESS TO CULTURIZE
Ana Santisteban takes the opportunity to reflect on the musical sensitivity of society in general. «People are not very involved, and it is often difficult to value the role of the musician,» she points out, but without giving up. «I want to bring people closer to this world, I don’t want there to be limits, because through knowledge, it can be valued in a different way.»
She asserts that there are «many things to discover» in classical music, which, although hidden and may seem like «something for a few,» can not only be enjoyable but also transport the listener «to another dimension.»
Nonetheless, she expresses «hope» that the new generations will continue to be interested in learning music, but she urges all parties involved to do their «bit» so that this can be achieved.
«I believe that all artists are now involved in this. There are many sources that allow us to make music even more known, and the more we do that, the more we will train the listener’s ear,» she states, affirming that she can detect «a lot of hidden talent» in her students, leading her to believe that music and its teaching will enjoy good health in the future.
This is precisely what she aims to achieve with each of her students. «I want to understand my student in a very personal way and, from that essence, bring out the best in them.»