The São Paulo State Symphony Orchestra – OSESP will perform four concerts in the United States between October 10th and 15th this year, on its first international tour since the beginning of the pandemic. The schedule will feature four performances in three different locations: Oct. 10, at Helzberg Hall (Kansas City, Missouri); Oct. 12, at The Music Center at Strathmore (North Bethesda, Maryland); and on Oct. 14 and Oct. 15 at Carnegie Hall in New York - this will be the first time a Brazilian orchestra has played as part of the official programming of this legendary classical music stage.

Directed by American Marin Alsop, who since 2020 has been Regent of Honor of OSESP – after having been the principal conductor and music director for a decade. The concerts will have different programs.

On October 12th and 15th, audiences will experience the Villa-Lobos Forest, an illustrious tribute to Brazil’s greatest composer, Heitor Villa-Lobos (1887-1959). The grand symphony of 70 minutes features Villa-Lobos alongside the Brazilian and foreign authors influenced by him. The Choir of OSESP and soprano Camila Titinger participate in the performances, accompanied by an unprecedented visual project celebrating our global heritage, the Amazon forest, by artistic curator Marcello Dantas.

On Oct. 14th, OSESP will feature José Staneck (harmonica) and the OSESP Choir to reinterpret Villa-Lobos works. Also part of this program is Rimsky-Korsakov's play Sheherazade – the Oct. 10 program in Kansas City will take place without the OSESP Choir.

"Bringing a tribute like the Villa-Lobos Forest to a house of the size of Carnegie Hall is pure excellence."

    - Marcelo Lopes (Executive Director of the OSESP Foundation)