The Impossible Orchestra has gathered, at a distance, the best soloists in the world to play one of the most important pieces of Mexican classical music. Due to the COVID crisis, these musicians have recorded their music independently, showing that even in distance, music can be created through collaboration, creativity and talent.
The music is accompanied by prima ballerina Elisa Carrillo with choreography created specifically for the event by renowned Christopher Wheeldon. Danzón No. 2 was the most performed classical piece in the world in 2019 and has been reinvented by Márquez and Alondra de la Parra for this grand occasion.
Music from Mexico to the world; World Aid for Mexico
The Impossible Orchestra shows us that in music, as in all aspects of society, we only have to transform the old models, and achieve what has never been done before
Music Moves Us!
The idea behind the project
We live in times of transition and change. The COVID-19 pandemic has had a huge impact around the world. Isolation and distance measures, although necessary, make us feel more divided, alone, separated from each other.
In Mexico, this crisis has particularly affected women and children, since they are the most vulnerable to the social, health, and economic effects of the pandemic. As a Mexican, a mother and a musician, Alondra de la Parra, was convinced that something had to be done, and the best way to help would be through music.
The Impossible Orchestra is born from the conviction that music has the power to unite us. No matter our origins, our nationalities or our differences, music creates a universal language of hope in difficult times.
Members of The Impossible Orchestra
Maxim Vengerov
Violin
Guy Braunstein
Violin
Aleksey Igudesman
Violin
Nemanja Radulović
Violin
Amihai Grosz
Viola
Rolando Fernández
Cello
Aleksey Igudesman
Violin
Nemanja Radulović
Violin
Amihai Grosz
Viola
Rolando Fernández
Cello
About Alondra de la Parra
Conductor Alondra de la Parra has earned the public’s admiration for her vibrant musical interpretations and her attention to Latin American composers. She frequently works with some of the most prestigious orchestras in the world, including the Paris Orchestre, the London Philharmonic, the Zurich Tonhalle-Orcheste, the Swedish Radio Orchestra, the Sao Paulo Symphonic Orchestra, Berlin’s Radio Symphonic Orchestra and the Santa Cecilia Orchestra dell’Accademia Nazionale. Between 2017 and 2019 she was the Musical Director of the Queensland Symphonic Orchestra, the first woman in charge of an Australian orchestra. She was also the first Mexican female conductor in a major New York orchestra and is an Official Cultural Ambassador of Mexico.
About Arturo Márquez and the Danzón No. 2 piece
Arturo Márquez is one of the world’s most prominent and celebrated contemporary composers. His work masterfully combines classical music with traditional rhythms from Mexico, Latin America and Africa.
Danzón No. 2, the most famous of nine with that name, premiered in 1994 and quickly became the quintessential Mexican symphony. It carries a harmonic dialogue between orchestral music, Mexican ballroom dances and other popular melodies from Latin America. In 2019 it was the most frequently played classical music piece in the world.
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Sponsors
#MusicMovesUs
Conductor Alondra de la Parra brings together The Impossible Orchestra, formed by outstanding musicians from 14 different countries, in order to support Mexican women and children affected by COVID-19.
The Impossible Orchestra makes its debut with the interpretation of the quintessential Mexican symphonic composition: Danzón No. 2, by Arturo Márquez.
The Impossible Orchestra
About the project
Worried about the impact of the pandemic in her home country, Mexican conductor Alondra de la Parra has launched one of the most ambitious projects in contemporary music in order to help Mexican women and children affected by COVID-19. All proceeds from this initiative will go to two foundations: Fondo Semillas and Save the Children México...
