The OFCM starts the year with a historic participation of women

The Mexico City Philharmonic Orchestra (OFCM) announced the programming for the first quarter of its 2025 season, which begins today and concludes on April 13 in the Silvestre Revueltas room of the Ollin Yoliztli Cultural Center (CCOY), which will feature a historic participation of women in performance, composition and direction.

In addition, he announced that they will offer traditional children’s concerts, Chamber Music pre-concerts, a presentation to commemorate International Women’s Day and another for the 700 years of the founding of Tenochtitlan. There will also be four national premieres and one international premiere.

In a press conference from the lobby of the Silvestre Revueltas room, the Secretary of Culture of Mexico City, Ana Francis López, highlighted the role of women: In 2023 and 2024 there was only one director; In 2025 we will have eight directing for 13 weeks. Direction and composition are spaces of narrative powerassured the official.

In addition, this year it was possible to program compositions by 19 women, eight more than in 2023: This will be a radically different, more complete season. Literature and music were men’s activities, and now they are beginning to be universal; we need to hear all voicescommented the official.

On the other hand, the operational director of the OFCM, Dalí Estrada Sour, highlighted that previously only women were included in symphonic groups in March; Now women participate all year round in composition, direction and interpretation.

The orchestra will also have conductors of international stature, such as Jesús Medina, Mariana Martínez, Eduardo García Barrios, Julio Briseño, Ludwig Carrasco, Ligia Amadio, Carlos Spierer, Constantine Orbelian, Rodrigo Sierra Moncayo and Scott Yoo, artistic director and owner of the OFCM.

Programming

Today at 6 p.m. and tomorrow at 12:30 p.m. the OFCM Soloists program will begin with the direction of Jesús Medina and the participation of the orchestra’s principal oboist Daniel Calahorra; In these concerts the Overture will be performed Fidelio, by Ludwig van Beethoven; the Oboe Concerto, K. 314 by Wolfgang A. Mozart, and the Symphony no. 8 by Antonin Dvorak.

Maestro Scott Yoo will be in charge of the concerts on February 1 and 2, in which he will conduct the winners of the 2024 Gurwitz International Piano Competition: Yungyung Guo, Young Sun Choi and Tatiana Dorokhova, who will perform the Piano Concerto no. 27, by Mozart; by Sergei Rachmaninoff, Rhapsody on a theme by Paganini, and Ludwig Van Beethoven, Piano Concerto No. 4.

On February 8 and 9, Mariana Martínez will be on the podium with a program that includes Symphony No. 4, by Florence Price; by Dora Vera, Huaxyac, and Igor Stravinsky Suite of The fire bird (1945).

In commemoration of the 700 years of the Foundation of Tenochtitlan, on Saturday, February 15 and Sunday, February 16, at 6 and 12:30, respectively, members of the Philharmonic Wilfredo Pérez Gaydos will participate, on violin, and Inna Nassidze, on the cello, conducted by Eduardo García Barrios; The national premiere of Chinampa and trajinera, by Enrico Chapela, and the world premiere of Codex mexica: Passion, by Cristobal Maryán.

The concert Brass and percussion of the OFCM: Gala Händel It will be held on February 23 and 24 with a program in which works by Georg Friedrich Händel will be performed, conducted by Julio Briseño; Among the topics that the public will be able to hear are The arrival of the queen of Sheba, Concerto for two choirs no. 2, HWV 333, Occasional Oratory March y Music for the royal fireworks, HWV 351. inter alia.

The concert will be held on Saturday 1st and Sunday 2nd March OFCM Soloists, with the performance of Jacob DeVries (clarinet) and Sofía Almanza Saavedra (bassoon), under the baton of Ludwig Carrasco, performing songs by Louise Farrenc, Richard Strauss and Piotr Ilich Tchaikovsky.

To commemorate International Women’s Day on Saturday, March 8 at 6 p.m. and Sunday the 9th at 12:30 p.m., the capital’s philharmonic prepared a program with songs by important composers, such as Gina Enríquez and Amy Beach, conducted by the teacher Ligia Amadio and the participation of the pianist María Martinova.

On this occasion, the OFCM will also have two national premieres of works composed by renowned women in the world of music: Skyline, by Jennifer Higdon, and the Piano Concerto no. 2, by Florencia Di Concilio.

Carlos Spierer will lead the Mexico City Philharmonic on March 15 and 16 with the program made up of small suite, de Witold Lutoslavski; Gimnopedias, the Erik Satie; Obertura Luisa, by María Guadalupe Olmedo, and the Overture Prince Igor y Danzas Polovetsianas, by Alexander Borodin.

On March 22 and 23, the OFCM will perform Lera Auerbach with the premiere of Symphony no. 6, Pitchers of light, directed by Constantine Orbelian, and featuring cellist Kristina Reiko Cooper, as well as a choir to be confirmed.

On March 29 and 30, Yoo will lead the orchestra with a program consisting of the Sinfonía Concertante, by Sergei Prokofiev, and the participation of cellist Robert deMaine, as well as The Rite of Spring, de Stravinski.