"Gustavo Dudamel is euphoric about the Orfeó Català"

Los AngelesThe Orfeó Català and the Chamber Choir of the Palau de la Música have culminated his time with the Los Angeles Philharmonic Triumphantly, once again with the audience on their feet and with even more euphoria. "Gustavo Dudamel is euphoric with the Orfeó Català," stated the general director of the Palau de la Música, Joan Oller, after the last of the concerts in Walt Disney Concert Hall. Dudamel has found the heart to make the Solemn MassAnd they are expected to resume their collaboration in the coming years, perhaps with the New York Philharmonic, of which Dudamel will be principal conductor starting this fall. But, for now, Oller isn't revealing any further details about future projects with the Venezuelan conductor. "The relationship with Gustavo was already very good, and now he's seen that we've responded by coming to Los Angeles well-prepared, with everything in place, and I think that's why he's so euphoric these days," Oller explains.

Each of the concerts of the Solemn Mass It has had its own nuances. "We've seen that magic that always happens when there are several concerts that are never the same, even though the performers are the same," says Oller. "The first one had a very special energy, a tension caused by it being the first time the orchestra and the heart were in contact." This nervousness subsided in the second concert: "The tension transformed into something more peaceful, into a communication to enhance the quality of the sound and the nuance; it was a more tranquil concert."

For Oller, the third concert was "a synthesis" of the first two with an extra dose of emotion and excitement for reaching the end of this adventure. "This finale added an extra layer of emotion to the concert. They have been three magnificent ones, but always with different nuances," he says. The third was scheduled for two in the afternoon, that is, only about sixteen hours after the previous one. The singers of the Orfeó Català are not professionals, and on occasions like this they demonstrate "total dedication," as Oller says.

On another note, Saturday's concert featured a surprise appearance by Coldplay's Chris Martin, who, after the performances, went backstage to congratulate the singers of the Orfeó Català and the Palau de la Música Chamber Choir, accompanied by Dudamel. And on Sunday, a group from the Orfeó Català met with the Barça Legends to wish them luck in their US debut against Real Madrid Legends.