During Holy Week, Bogotá will pulse to the rhythms and harmonies of a different kind of liturgy – not one rooted in silence and solemnity, but in the complex, expressive power of 20th-and 21st-century classical music from across the Americas. From April 16 to 19, the VII Festival Internacional de Música Clásica de Bogotá will bring together leading orchestras, soloists and ensembles to celebrate a century of musical creation from Alaska to Patagonia.
Themed ‘Bogotá es América!’ this year’s festival focuses on nationalist musical movements, art song traditions, and contemporary classical composition. It’s a sweeping auditory journey through the Western Hemisphere, featuring works by more than 120 composers, including Leonard Bernstein, Heitor Villa-Lobos, Gabriela Ortiz, John Williams, Astor Piazzolla, and Jaime León.
Held across 15 venues in Bogotá – and for the first time in neighbouring Soacha – the festival offers 40 concerts, 11 of which are free to the public. Organized by Teatro Mayor Julio Mario Santo Domingo, in collaboration with Bogotá’s Mayor’s Office, IDARTES, the grand opening on April 16 at Teatro Mayor will feature a Gala Lírica led by Colombian conductor Roger Díaz-Cajamarca, with performances by sopranos Julieth Lozano and Betty Garcés, Mexican tenor Ramón Vargas, and the Bogotá Philharmonic’s Youth Choir.
One of the most anticipated appearances is the Orquesta Sinfónica del Estado de São Paulo, under the baton of Swiss maestro Thierry Fischer. The ensemble will deliver three major concerts, including the immersive Concierto Amazónico, featuring Colombian soprano Betty Garcés and a visual narrative by artist Marcello Dantas that follows the rivers of the Amazon basin. The São Paulo Symphony will also close the festival with a North American programme starring celebrated Canadian pianist Marc-André Hamelin in Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue and Bernstein’s The Age of Anxiety.
Another international highlight comes from the Czech National Symphony Orchestra, known for its contributions to Hollywood soundtracks. Under American conductor Steven Mercurio, the orchestra will perform a Gala Hollywood featuring scores from Titanic, James Bond, and Batman, followed by a tribute to John Williams and a concert centred on the New World Symphony by Czech composer Antonín Dvořák.
The festival doesn’t just look abroad. It firmly centres Colombia’s growing influence in the classical music world. Santiago Cañón-Valencia, a prize-winning cellist who earned acclaim at the International Tchaikovsky Competition, will perform two recitals. Colombian-Irish singer-songwriter Katie James will take part in the Gala Criolla, and pianist César Cañón will accompany Ramón Vargas in a recital honouring Latin American icons such as Carlos Gardel and Armando Manzanero.
Women composers and conductors are given a prominent role, with programmes highlighting works by Eliana Echeverry, Carolina Noguera, and Mexican composer Gabriela Ortiz. Several concerts will also focus on the Latin American art song, including selections by Jaime León, a key figure in Colombia’s musical heritage.
Beyond the concert hall, the festival expands into libraries and theatres across Bogotá, with community-oriented programming and family-friendly events. The Chilean theatre company Tryo Teatro Banda, together with the Cuarteto M4nolov, will present Cantacuentos de Gabriela Mistral, reviving children’s stories reimagined by the Nobel Prize-winning poet. Free concerts will feature emerging Colombian talents, such as guitarist León Salcedo and the Luka Santander piano-violin duo, winners of the festival’s open call.
Also on the bill are Grammy-winning ensembles such as Third Coast Percussion and the Attacca Quartet, who will explore the frontiers of contemporary classical sound with works by Jlin and Philip Glass.
With its seventh edition, Bogotá’s classical music festival affirms itself not only as a prestigious cultural event but also as a vibrant platform for inter-American dialogue through music. At its heart lies a commitment to reshaping the classical canon by highlighting composers whose stories are deeply rooted in the diversity, resilience, and innovation of the Americas. As the Teatro Mayor’s festival director Ramiro Osorio claims: “We are not just celebrating music. We are telling the story of a continent.”
For more information on the event and to purchase tickets online visit: www.festivalmusicaclasicadebogota.org
