Giancarlo Guerrero is poised to begin a significant new chapter in his career as the artistic director and principal conductor of the Grant Park Music Festival in Chicago.
This role comes with a sense of nostalgia for Guerrero, as Chicago is where he solidified his standing in the United States and received crucial training under renowned conductor Victor Yampolsky at Northwestern University.
“Chicago was really the place that pushed me not only as a conductor but as a musician overall and showed me what the possibilities could be,” Guerrero reflected.
The festival announced his appointment in October, and Guerrero is set to lead his inaugural concert on June 18, which will feature the “Symphonic Suite” from Leonard Bernstein’s iconic score for the 1954 film “On the Waterfront.”
This year’s Grant Park Music Festival will be a 10-week classical music series, featuring the Grant Park Orchestra and Chorus alongside guest soloists from around the globe. It opens on Wednesday and runs until August 16.
Since its inception in 1935, the festival has become a cherished summer tradition, serving up symphonic offerings in Grant Park. Though it relocated its performances to the Pritzker Pavilion in Millennium Park in 2004, the festival retained its well-recognized name.
Guerrero, who recently concluded a 16-year tenure as the music director of the Nashville Symphony Orchestra, was known there for emphasizing contemporary American music. He oversaw over 20 recordings that landed him six Grammy Awards during his time in Nashville.
He succeeds Carlos Kalmar, a conductor with Latin American roots who served the festival for 25 seasons before stepping down at the end of the 2024 season. Kalmar now holds the title of conductor laureate.
Guerrero has signed a three-year contract, which includes conducting four weeks of concerts each summer.
Paul Winberg, the festival’s president and chief executive officer, articulated the organization’s desire for a conductor who could create a “magical alchemy” with the musicians and the audience.
Guerrero first appeared at the festival in 2008 and returned for two back-to-back programs last July, which effectively served as his audition. His rapport with the festival musicians was almost instantaneous.
“You get in front of an orchestra, and you give your downbeat at the first rehearsal, and, all of a sudden, the magic starts happening,” he said, emphasizing the profound connection he felt with the players.
Guerrero commended the festival’s free-admission policy and adventurous programming. Kalmar’s tenure was marked by a blend of familiar classics and innovative combinations of new and historical works, a practice Guerrero intends to continue.
“I’m bringing my own repertoire,” Guerrero stated, indicating that every conductor has their favorites and an aspiration list. “The key is context. It has to have a message, whether it’s programmatic, stylistic, or something that binds the program together.”
He also aims to maintain the festival’s tradition of spotlighting American repertoire while drawing on his experience from his previous roles in Europe, specifically as the music director of the Wrocław Philharmonic in Poland and the principal guest conductor of the Gulbenkian Orchestra in Lisbon.
Guerrero expressed his enthusiasm for presenting modern and contemporary European works, particularly from Poland, Germany, and France, during the festival.
He is especially eager about the culminating concerts on August 15 and 16, which will feature the festival’s professional chorus in Carl Orff’s exhilarating masterwork, “Carmina Burana.”
“It is such a riot to conduct, to hear, and to play,” he remarked, clearly excited about the opportunity.
Other pieces he is looking forward to conducting this summer include Gustav Mahler’s Symphony No. 1, “Titan,” which he will perform on June 20 and 21 in a rare version that includes the “Blumine” section, and Jennifer Higdon’s “The Singing Rooms” on August 8 and 9.
At a significant crossroads in his personal life and career, Guerrero noted that both of his children have moved out, allowing him and his wife to move into a condo in Miami, a property purchased during his time as principal guest conductor for the Cleveland Orchestra’s annual residency between 2011 and 2016.
Born in Nicaragua, Guerrero fled with his family to Costa Rica at the age of 11 due to the civil war. He became involved in music by playing with the Costa Rica Youth Symphony and the Costa Rican National Symphony Orchestra.
His journey to the United States began when he relocated to study percussion at Baylor University in Texas. While there, he unexpectedly discovered a talent for conducting after taking a required conducting class.
Guerrero was subsequently accepted into Northwestern University’s conducting program, where he earned his master’s degree in 1992. Reflecting on his journey, he said, “Coming from Waco to Chicago was a shock.”
He was captivated by the opportunity to regularly attend Chicago Symphony Orchestra performances and participate in the Grant Park Festival during the summer months.
“All of a sudden, the world of music opened up before my eyes,” Guerrero shared.
He expressed deep appreciation for Yampolsky, whom he described as “one of the greatest musicians” he has ever encountered. Guerrero acknowledged that his mentor helped him recognize and overcome bad habits, teaching him the mental and physical requirements necessary for a conductor.
Now, over 30 years since earning his degree from Northwestern, Guerrero is back in Chicago to embark on this fresh journey. Following his advice from Carlos Kalmar about the grant park position, Guerrero intends to make this role his own.
He plans to fully embrace the opportunities ahead and leave his unique imprint on the celebrated festival.
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