Carlos Miguel Prieto, with high expectations for the new season of the Mining Symphony Orchestra in Mexico City

He moved the interview up a day because his schedule was complicated. He barely arrived at the hotel and answered the call with a prestissimo. Maestro Carlos Miguel Prieto (Mexico City, 1965), principal conductor of the Minería Symphony Orchestra, speaks from Monterrey, where he will perform with the Orchestra of the Americas on June 20th.

However, the reason for this conversation lies in other scores.

The moment Coahuila is mentioned, the maestro can't help but recall the early years of his career. Those days of yesteryear, when he used to visit Torreón to conduct the Camerata.

His memory is haunted by the relentless heat, Haydn's compositions, and the beauty of the Isauro Martínez Theater, which remained etched in his retinas.

“ At that time, I was deeply immersed in studying Haydn symphonies. I went for a week, and I remember it was so hot that I couldn't do what I love: go for walks. So, I stayed at the hotel to study Haydn symphonies. And I remember that week being very productive for me, because the immense heat was so overwhelming. But I also remember having had a very pleasant week. I enjoyed the theater, anyway .”

Carlos Miguel Prieto is a household name. His mastery has allowed him to conduct on the world's finest stages.

The Mexican Union of Music and Theater Critics named him "Conductor of the Year" in 2002. The Mexican government and the Austrian Embassy awarded him the Mozart Medal in 1998. Musical America magazine again named him Conductor of the Year in 2018.

"I'm someone who grew up largely on the traditional repertoire—German, Austrian, etc.—Mozart, Beethoven, Haydn, it's sort of the foundation of the repertoire. But to have a career in what I do, you have to have a very broad repertoire."

So, in almost 30 years of doing this, I've conducted all kinds of music. And one of the things that's important to me is having a variety of styles that I conduct, from Bach to the present day. Another thing that has distinguished my work is that I partner with interesting, living composers, like Gabriela Ortiz .

NEW SEASON

Carlos Miguel Prieto is also promoting the Summer Season of the Mining Symphony Orchestra, which will take place from July 5 to August 31 at the Nezahualcóyotl Hall of the Cultural Center of the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM) in the country's capital.

This time, the capital orchestra's season will consist of nine programs: seven led by principal conductor Carlos Miguel Prieto, and two more featuring Lina González-Granados and Maestro John Adams as guest conductors.

“ What we have are nine weeks of concerts ranging from Beethoven symphonies, like the Fifth and Ninth, which is the gala, to a couple of world premieres, as well as French, Spanish, Russian, and German music. And also featuring great soloists .”

In addition, on July 26 and August 9 and 13, the Minería Symphony Orchestra will offer the Cri Cri Symphonic Children's Family Concert " Let all your dreams remain open ."

Schedules and ticket purchase are available on the website minería.org.mx/conciertos.