Andres Orozco-Estrada is likely one of the most enjoyable conductors round. The Colombian has garnered rave opinions for his exuberance and his potential to attach with musicians and concertgoers.
AYESHA RASCOE, HOST:
Classical music is rooted in Western Europe. However nowadays, among the world’s most revolutionary orchestra conductors come from Latin America. The very best identified is Venezuela’s Gustavo Dudamel. However as John Otis stories, some of the wanted conductors is from Colombia.
(SOUNDBITE OF MUSIC)
JOHN OTIS, BYLINE: On the Metropolitan Theatre within the metropolis of Medellin, the Colombian Youth Philharmonic is rehearsing underneath the baton of Andres Orozco-Estrada. The 47-year-old conductor is prepping them for the next night time’s live performance when, all of a sudden, he stops the music.
(SOUNDBITE OF MUSIC)
ANDRES OROZCO-ESTRADA: (Non-English language spoken).
OTIS: He needs extra drama from the violins and extra energy from the cellos. To indicate what he means, he begins stomping his toes.
(SOUNDBITE OF FEET STOMPING)
OROZCO-ESTRADA: (Non-English language spoken).
OTIS: It is solely apply, however Orozco-Estrada is working up a sweat.
(SOUNDBITE OF MUSIC)
OTIS: He is garnered rave opinions throughout the globe for his exuberance and for his potential to attach with musicians and concertgoers at a time when classical music is struggling to keep up its viewers.
REBECCA ZABINSKI: He understands that classical music can really feel actually intimidating to folks.
OTIS: That is Rebecca Zabinski, who directs creative planning for the Houston Symphony, the place Orozco-Estrada spent 9 years as music director.
ZABINSKI: And so he’s making an attempt to determine a solution to present folks the great thing about that by eradicating what could possibly be seen as obstacles.
(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)
OROZCO-ESTRADA: (Non-English language spoken).
(SOUNDBITE OF MUSIC)
OTIS: For instance, somewhat than maintaining his again to the viewers, Orozco-Estrada typically addresses the gang. He’ll clarify what Mozart or Mendelssohn had been making an attempt to do or how the primary and second violins play off one another. Typically, he’ll crack clever about his personal foibles as a conductor, as he did at this live performance in Bogota.
(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)
OROZCO-ESTRADA: (Non-English language spoken).
(LAUGHTER)
OTIS: Typically he’ll invite viewers members onstage to get a greater really feel for what it is prefer to be in an orchestra.
(SOUNDBITE OF MUSIC)
OTIS: For this efficiency in Germany of a composition that alludes to the Amazon jungle, Orozco-Estrada handed out tons of of tiny flutes to concertgoers. Later within the piece, he rotated and commenced conducting the gang, which used the flutes to copy chicken tune.
(SOUNDBITE OF MUSIC)
JUAN ANDRES ROJAS: Instantly, the entire venue was like an Amazonian forest.
OTIS: That is Juan Andres Rojas, director of Colombia’s Youth Philharmonic, who was on the live performance.
ROJAS: It was stunning but additionally very highly effective for the viewers, being a part of the piece.
OTIS: Apart from participating the gang, Orozco-Estrada additionally conjures up his musicians, says Laura Parra, who performs viola in Colombia’s Youth Philharmonic.
LAURA PARRA: He has a lot vitality. It is overwhelming generally as a result of as a musician, you get drained all through the rehearsal, however you see that he is so impressed and retains that vitality all through the entire rehearsal, that it retains you motivated to maintain taking part in and doing all of your greatest.
OROZCO-ESTRADA: (Non-English language spoken).
OTIS: Throughout a break on the rehearsal in Medellin, Orozco-Estrada tells me that whereas rising up right here, he attended a music faculty that inspired college students to take pleasure in themselves.
OROZCO-ESTRADA: So my method to the music is just not tremendous mental or tremendous, like, disciplined in a approach that it must be, like, tremendous within the field and strict and virtually, like, form of army, (vocalizing), not – fairly the other. I simply acquired into music very pure. Simply – it was playful, all the time playful. And that is the way in which I perceive music works.
OTIS: He began out on violin then switched to conducting at age 14. He preferred a baton till he noticed the antenna atop the household TV.
OROZCO-ESTRADA: And I believed, this is perhaps an excellent concept as a result of it’s totally sensible. I could make it longer, greater. So then I disconnected the antenna from the TV. My mother wasn’t very proud of it as a result of, after that, we could not see – watch the TV anymore. It was (imitating TV static). However anyway, I took it, and it was the very best.
OTIS: Makeshift baton in hand, he would conduct each likelihood he acquired, even when there have been no musicians round.
OROZCO-ESTRADA: So once I wished to conduct, no matter it was, like, in the course of nothing, I simply took my baton and begin conducting, like a loopy folks.
OTIS: Like, with the music in your head, or simply…
ROJAS: In my head or simply folks strolling and speaking – I conduct you only for enjoyable. It is like a standard child being Superman and taking a towel as a cape.
OTIS: And also you – so that you had been Superconductor?
OROZCO-ESTRADA: Precisely. I believed, oh, I can fly with this baton.
OTIS: Certainly, the career has taken him to nice heights.
(SOUNDBITE OF MUSIC)
OTIS: In 1997, he was accepted into the highest conducting faculty in Vienna, classical music’s Mecca. Since then, he is performed among the world’s biggest orchestras, together with the London Philharmonic, the Vienna Symphony and Italy’s RAI Nationwide Symphony. Zabinski of the Houston Symphony describes Orozco-Estrada as a singular expertise.
ZABINSKI: You have got extra of an opportunity of changing into an NFL participant than you do changing into an expert conductor on the stage of Andres. He is like an Olympian.
OTIS: Some connoisseurs imagine classical music ought to converse for itself, with none bells and whistles. And in additional conventional venues, Orozco-Estrada will tone it down. However he’s naturally gregarious.
OROZCO-ESTRADA: The viewers had been all the time so glad once I simply say, welcome, I am so glad. We’re taking part in this. Or I used to be considering I – or I select this piece as a result of I really like this and this, or hear rigorously about this second motion. It will be so stunning. I really feel prefer it’s da, da, da. And the folks had been like, whoa, thanks.
(SOUNDBITE OF INSTRUMENTS WARMING UP)
OTIS: He is hoping for the same reception at tonight’s efficiency in Medellin, wherein the Youth Philharmonic will play items by Bach and Czech composer Antonin Dvorak. Because the string part warms up, the Metropolitan Theater begins filling up.
UNIDENTIFIED PERSON: (Non-English language spoken).
OTIS: Leaving his dressing room, Orozco-Estrada stops to take selfies together with his younger musicians who plainly adore him. Then they hit the stage.
(SOUNDBITE OF MUSIC)
OTIS: It seems that Orozco-Estrada is in such excessive demand within the U.S. and Europe that he not often makes it again to Colombia. So for the viewers, tonight’s live performance is a particular deal with, a uncommon likelihood to see their hometown hero.
(SOUNDBITE OF MUSIC)
OTIS: For NPR Information, I am John Otis in Medellin, Colombia.
(SOUNDBITE OF HILARY HAHN AND FRANKFURT RADIO SYMPHONY PERFORMANCE OF SARASATE’S “CARMEN FANTASY, OP. 25: III. ALLEGRO MODERATO”)
Copyright © 2025 NPR. All rights reserved. Go to our web site phrases of use and permissions pages at www.npr.org for additional info.
NPR transcripts are created on a rush deadline by an NPR contractor. This textual content might not be in its closing type and could also be up to date or revised sooner or later. Accuracy and availability might range. The authoritative file of NPR’s programming is the audio file.
