“The prestige of the orchestra in Latin America helped Disney choose us”

After surviving virtual concerts, the entertainment industry has been revitalized over the weeks, gradually returning to the stage. For David Garcia, Director of the Bogotá Philharmonic Orchestra, the emergency helped increase attendance at these events to be significant.

What was it like to get back on stage after this emergency?

For the Bogotá Philharmonic Orchestra, it was a very important and positive experience, because, contrary to popular belief, it brought the audience closer. During the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic, we did many virtual concerts which greatly increased the audience. Today, after all these months, we are back to the original formats with all the security measures like daily vaccination card and mask requirements.

How many face-to-face concerts have you had since reopening?

We’ve had about 300 concerts and already have a plan for the end of the year in which we’ll be performing at various venues in the city. On November 24, for example, we will have a great concert in Plaza Bolivar; In this presentation, we will perform Beethoven’s famous symphony 9 with the chorus,

What does the agreement with Disney consist of?

We’re having a concert with Disney at the Movistar Arena. It is a unique presentation because the image is rarely integrated with the live music. It’s a dream we’ve seen since the beginning of this year.

For this, Disney has made a careful selection of different films from its platforms. For example, we will explain the work of Marvel, Pixar, and National Geographic, while showing a visual part. We’ll be making three pieces from Coco, Star Wars, and more. This is a special and dynamic concert.

What special experience evokes the dynamism of these parties?

The relationship between music and cinema is so special because so often we don’t realize the huge emotional impact that music gives to a scene, it’s shocking. What we want to provoke is that those who go to this concert called “Magic and Symphony” become more aware of how beautiful this union is. For musicians, for their part, it’s very exciting. As they do the cutting, they learn about their favorite Disney scenes.

How was the selection process?

Disney had a clear concept of what they wanted to do. They have already thought carefully about the parts that need to be interpreted. Thanks to our prestige in Latin America, we were chosen. Our contribution was to determine the number of musicians required and to standardize the rehearsals.

Has there currently been a significant growth in attendance at cultural events?

The audience has definitely grown. We have organized concerts at the Teatro Mayor, in the Teatro el Ensueño, the theater at Jorge Tadeo Lozano University and the Museum of Modern Art. In each of us we noticed the massive curiosity of the public.

What personal touch did you give to the orchestra?

I have a very strong relationship because my father was the founder. In addition, we have established a public school training program for 30,000 students.