Medellín Philharmonic Orchestra Anniversary

“Forty years ago, in the garage of maestro Alberto Correa's house, the dream of an orchestra for the city began; Forty years later, this journey symbolizes that dreams are possible despite setbacks. This orchestra was born from friendship, and that spirit is still there; That is why we want to celebrate the places that have been our home and each of the people who have allowed us to get here.” María Catalina Prieto, executive director  

1983, the birth 

Imagine for a moment that you open a garage door and instead of seeing a car, you find forty-two people tuning up. It was in that improvised rehearsal room where the dream began. Professionals, music students, doctors, engineers packed bow to bow and united by the love of music under the baton of Alberto Correa. As the founding director puts it, “to spread symphonic music” that since 1983 has beat in unison with our city and has filled it with optimism and emotion.  

On Calle 27 in Belén La Palma was the narrow garage that miraculously expanded to receive them all. As the afternoon fell, the neighbors enjoyed the rehearsals for free and even set up chairs in the front garden, while tuning in with a few glasses of wine. The house, Maestro Correa's house, became known as the House of Music and the neighborhood was filled with pride in having a philharmonic close to everyone.  

40 years have passed since this dream came true that emerged as a quixotic act in the midst of uncertainty with the hope of healing, transforming and encouraging everyone's spirit.

Orchestra Milestones . Click here and find the most exciting moments in our history:

Symphony season and special concerts

With the help of our new chief conductor we will have our traditional symphonic season that begins on 18th of February with the concert “Spring, the city inspires us”, a message of gratitude to the city, which will include works by Beethoven and Stravinsky in its program; then he February 25 the second concert “The music of destiny”, celebrates life and the inevitable with the music of Wagner, Tchaikovsky and Costa Rican Carlos Castro.  

For him April 15, one day before our birthday, we will present the anniversary concert, in which we will recreate with virtual reality and mapping the founder's garage where the orchestra began rehearsing. This concert presents the great Symphony No. 9 of Beethoven with the participation of choirs from the city and directed by Alberto Correa and David Greilsammer. In that same month the Israeli pianist Matan Porat, acclaimed by the New York Times for his “magnificent sound and natural expression,” will accompany Filarmed in the performance of the Piano Concerto No. 1 of Brahms.

In June, will be presented for the first time with our Orchestra, Milan Milisavljević principal viola of the MET Orchestra of New York. The following month, music and ballet join the rhythm of Swan Lake of Tchaikovsky, full of beauty and romanticism, is considered one of the most amazing works in the classical dance repertoire. For the month of August, we will be accompanied by Gilad Harel, Israeli clarinetist, specialized in classical and contemporary music, and in the second week of that month we will tune up to perform the fascinating and emotional Symphony No. 5 of Mahler together with the EAFIT Symphony Orchestra.  

In September we prepare for Carmina Urbana, It is the cantata “Carmina Burana” by Carl Orff, this time in an urban style, performed by the orchestra and Dangerous Crew, with the participation of city choirs. In October the orchestra will play the music of Purcell, Haydn and Schubert and will feature the participation of the Israeli cellist Ira Givol, who has performed in prestigious venues such as the Philharmonie in Berlin and the Auditorium du Louvre in Paris.  

In November, Laura Payome, principal clarinet of Filarmed, will accompany the orchestra in the performance of the Clarinet Concerto No. 1 of Weber. And that same night Symphony No. 8 of Beethoven, a piece that represents feeling and power, will be heard in the second part of the concert.  

For the last concert of the Season we will honor the Medellín Polyphonic Study, founding entity of the orchestra, with the interpretation of the traditional The Messiah by Handel in the company of the Polifónico, city choirs and world-class singers, and under the direction of David Greilsammer. 

Serenades to Medellín   

For 40 years, the city has been our home. Every corner of Medellín has been the setting for rehearsals and concerts of the Orchestra. This is why we will perform serenades at these places that, in addition to having been home to the Orchestra, are iconic for the city and a source of pride for its citizens. Among the serenades are the Parque Bolívar, the Museum of Antioquia, the Museum of Modern Art, Parque Explora, the Metropolitan Theater, Comuna 13, the Medellín Metro and the Botanical Garden, among others.   

Taxes and mergers  

The Orchestra has been characterized by its versatility and love of all genres. This is why we will have our rock tribute to Aerosmith, a tribute to rock in Spanish and fusions with popular national and international artists such as Lido Pepper, Colombian-Canadian singer-songwriter who mixes Afro-Colombian rhythms with electronic and pop music, and Pedro Aznar, Argentine composer and singer of jazz, Spanish rock and pop, among other genres, who has collaborated with Charly García and David Lebón.

Children and family strip  

Bringing music closer to children and families is of vital importance within the Orchestra's outreach work. There will be several concerts aimed at children and family audiences, among which stands out Do-Re-Mingo Favorite, a Sunday series of educational concerts for the whole family with the music of some stories and tales from universal literature such as Rafael Pombo and Don Quixote, and Philarmaniac a fun production that unites clown and symphonic music to bring new audiences closer to symphonic music.

Filarmed in Bogota 
 
Our orchestra will be a special guest at VI International Classical Music Festival of Bogotá which will be celebrated from April 5 to 8 and will be dedicated to the La Belle Époque period. For this occasion we will present two concerts, the first with music by Ravel, Sain-Saëns, Debussy and Stravinsky, featuring the cello star Santiago Canyon, on Friday, April 7 and the second with music by Chabrier, Ravel, Dukas and Debussy with the participation of the French pianist Alexander Tharaud, on Saturday, April 8.   
 
"Our concerts in the capital highlight the importance of regional orchestras for the country's culture and remind us that the Medellín Philharmonic is not only a heritage of Antioquia but of the entire country." María Catalina Prieto, executive director.

Music in the region 

Our anniversary will be celebrated in the regions with concerts and educational activities in the places that have hosted our training programs: San Jerónimo, La Ceja and Urabá Antioqueño. 

Our pedagogical model is developed in three phases: awareness, musical initiation and orchestral practice. The phase of sensitization It consists of a first approach to symphonic music through an educational concert, in which basic concepts are learned. Complementary School Days is part of our musical initialization phase, and was born as the possibility of bringing the little ones closer to culture from their classrooms; Singing, dancing and music join this meeting. And finally, the orchestra and pre-orchestra process, supported by Fundauniban, has reached 700 students in Apartadó, Carepa, Chigorodó and Currulao. The philosophy of the classes not only seeks to teach them about classical music, but also to give them tools for their lives.   

Social programs  

The Reconciliation Choir, a choir made up of ex-combatants and victims, I Am a Musician, a circulation training program designed for young people with disabilities, and the hospital program continue to develop as mechanisms through music. Through them, in addition to the participants' realization of art, they will seek to raise awareness of the importance of guaranteeing the cultural rights of absolutely all citizens. They will circulate in different communes with concerts with different formats of the Orchestra.

With universal music and gratitude to Medellín, the Medellín Philharmonic Orchestra begins the celebration of its 40th anniversary. Two concerts, Saturdays, February 15 and 25, present the 2023 Season   
 
The music of the composers Beethoven, Stravinsky, Wagner and Tchaikovsky and a contemporary musical piece by Costa Rican Carlos Castro, are part of the concert program, conducted by David Greilsammer, which premiere the 2023 Season of Filarmed.