It is difficult to think about the maestro Fernando Botero and not also bring to mind Medellín, the city where he was born and which had a direct influence on his life and work. After his departure, on September 15, 2023, people and entities have felt the need to pay tribute to this icon of Paisa culture.
This year, the Medellín Philharmonic will do so with a series of ten concerts through which it aims to give new meaning to the artist’s cultural legacy in the city, which it has named “Las 10 de Botero.”
“Each concert will be related to a theme from the life and work of Fernando Botero. We will have a mediator from the Museum of Antioquia and Filarmed, who, as the concert is performed, will talk about his work and his relationship with music,” explain spokespersons for the Orchestra.
Where will the concerts be?
These are ten events with music inspired by the sensitivity, life and work of the prominent Antioquia native. They will be held in different locations in the center such as the Antioquia Museum, Comfama Cloister, San Ignacio de Loyola and San José Parishes.
“It is difficult to imagine Medellín without its iconic sculptures, without the cat, the reclining woman, the man on horseback, the gladiator or the fat woman. His works are a reflection of the history of our city and all its transitions. Through music we want to give new meaning to the cultural legacy of the maestro,” comments María Catalina Prieto, executive director of Filarmed.
For the Orchestra it is also important to commemorate Botero because in 2001, the maestro made a generous gift to the children of Medellín. In collaboration with the Royal Musical of Spain, he donated 300 musical instruments to contribute to the training of the city’s network of music schools.
“Many of those children who once had an instrument thanks to Botero have grown up and are now part of great orchestras like ours. For this reason, in our season, the city’s musicians also express their gratitude,” they explain from Filarmed.
How to attend and what to expect from the presentations?
All concerts in this series will be free entry for the public, therefore getting tickets will not be a problem.
They will be held on a Thursday each month until December. One of the most special moments of this series of concerts will be on April 18, since the presentation will be held around the celebration of the maestro’s birth, which is the following day. In this case, the Orchestra will pay tribute to episodes from their daily lives.
“There is not a single Antioquian who does not feel represented by Botero. For us it is the opportunity to reach, through a theme that is common to anyone, all citizens with symphonic music. We have been doing this for many years, finding the different connections that exist between everyday life and music to achieve access to it,” conclude Filarmed spokespersons.
Although the theme that will guide each concert has not yet been announced, it is known that all of them will have a differentiating factor and will aim to publicize an aspect of Botero’s life and his different connections beyond art.
Upcoming concert dates and locations:
Thursday, April 18 4:30 pm Museum of Antioquia.
Thursday, May 30 6:30 pm Patio Theater Cloister Comfama.
Thursday, June 13 4:30 pm Museum of Antioquia.
Thursday, July 4 6:30 pm San Ignacio de Loyola Parish.
Thursday August 29 6:30 p.m. m. Cloister Comfama Theater Patio.
Thursday, September 26, 4:30 p.m. m. Museum of Antioquia.
Thursday, October 17 6:30 p.m. m. Museum of Antioquia.
Thursday, November 14, 6:30 p.m. m. San José Parish.
Thursday, December 12, 4:30 p.m. m. Museum of Antioquia.
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