Concierto
The concert went very well in Xalapa last night — a big house of extremely attentive listeners of all ages. There is a clear tie with the University here, and I think this works very well in boosting attendance (it also helps that the soloist was a university student). It’s rare to experience such intense focus from an audience. Here’s the program:
Beethoven: Coriolan Overture
Ney Rosauro: Marimba Concerto
Sibelius: Symphony No. 1
Not exactly box-office gold, but they do a concert like this every week. The thing I heard over and over again from the musicians is that since it’s a university-supported institution, they don’t have to worry about “programming” like we do in the US and Canada. It seems to me that this lack of fear in programming has helped build exactly the kind of audience that every orchestra wants: a group of people of all ages and backgrounds who genuinely love music.
This orchestra knows its identity and has found its audience, with some major support from a university.