Mexico City Philharmonic Orchestra


The Mexico City Philharmonic Orchestra is an orchestra of international rank founded and underwritten by the National Government of Mexico. The home venue is the Silvestre Revueltas Hall at the Ollín Yoliztli Cultural Center :es:Centro Cultural Ollin Yoliztli| in Tlalpan, Mexico City, which opened in 1979.

History

The Mexico City Philharmonic Orchestra was founded in 1978 by the National Government of Mexico through an initiative by Carmen Romano, wife of then President of Mexico, José López Portillo. The Philharmonic was part of a plan to make fine arts education accessible to youths. The government launched classical music workshops and formed professional orchestras, including the Mexico City Philharmonic Orchestra. Fernando Lozano Rodríguez :es:Fernando Lozano Rodríguez| was the founding conductor. The Philharmonic's venue name, ollín yoliztli, means "life movement" or "life force" in Náhuatl.

Directors, members, and notable soloists

Guest conductors have included Leonard Bernstein, Eduardo Mata, and Enrique Diemecke. Guest soloists have included Martha Argerich, Narciso Yepes, Nicanor Zabaleta, Renata Scotto, Birgit Nilsson, Claudio Arrau, Janos Starker, Isaac Stern, Placido Domingo, and María Teresa Rodríguez :es:María Teresa Rodríguez |. Artistic directors are appointed by the Secretary of Culture of Mexico City.
Artistic directors
Principal guest conductors
Assistant conductors
Associate conductors
Musicians
The Mexico City Philharmonic Orchestra has made over a hundred recordings, most of which have been the works of Mexican composers. The Philharmonic is reputed to be the most prolifically recorded orchestra of music by Mexican composers. In 1981, the Mexico City Philharmonic Orchestra won the Academie du Disque Francais Grand Prize for its recording of "Mexican Ballets" by Blas Galindo, José Pablo Moncayo, and Carlos Chávez. Fernando Lozano Rodríguez :es:Fernando Lozano Rodríguez| was the conductor. The jury stated that the Philharmonic was the best in Latin America.
In 2001, the Mexico City Philharmonic was nominated for "Best Classical Recording" in the inaugural Latin Grammy Awards. The Mexican Union and Theater Critics Philharmonic Mexico City and Music as the best of the year, calling it "The Best Orchestra of Mexico, 2000."

Selected discography

  1. Concerto, for Violin and Orchestra
  2. Berceuse, for violin and orchestra, Op. 16 (