The HIDALGO Festival Orchestra under conductor Johanna Malangré is a project ensemble of young instrumentalists*The best orchestras in Munich and beyond. The focus of the repertoire is on classical modernism
The audience sits close to the orchestra, some even in between, others look at the conductor’s notes. At concerts by the HIDALGO Festival Orchestra, musicians and audience form a single, large community that sits together for a few pieces in the eye of the hurricane. Each of them physically experiences how the air boils between the instrumentalists and instrument groups, how sounds and voices mix, how hearing, thinking and feeling become one.
Since 2019, top young instrumentalists have come together every late summer to form the HIDALGO Festival Orchestra. They are members and academy members of top orchestras such as the Bavarian State Orchestra, the Munich Philharmonic and the Berlin Philharmonic. A core of regular musicians is constantly being joined by new colleagues. Each concert features a solo singer – as a connection to our vocal roots, the song.
The focus of the repertoire is on classical modernism. We believe that these works from the first half of the 20th century are not museum pieces that should be dusted off and exhibited, but are directly relevant to us. They deal with existential issues, are written between war and peace, despair and hope, death and excessive celebrations. They are full of expressive rhythms and colors, sometimes going as far as noise and emphasizing the timbre.
We play the musical selection in unusual venues such as electro clubs and bouldering halls. Both follow our approach of consciously making the haptic, physical interaction in the orchestra accessible to the audience. For us, classical music is neither intellectual plesir for a select few, nor is it banal entertainment. It is sophisticated, complex entertainment that our viewers can experience emotionally.