The Berliner Philharmoniker performed composer Gabriela Ortiz’s piece “Kauyumari” at the Waldbühne in Berlin under the direction of Gustavo Dudamel [1].
The performance serves as a significant highlight of the orchestra's summer programme, which focused on introducing and celebrating Latin American musical compositions and rhythms to a wide audience [2, 3].
The open-air concert took place June 28, 2025 [1]. This appearance was part of a broader season-closing concert series that occurred June 27 and 28, 2025 [4, 5]. The Waldbühne venue provided the backdrop for the full-length event, which aimed to explore and rediscover the sounds of the Americas [3, 6].
Ortiz’s “Kauyumari” was a central element of the program, showcasing the intersection of contemporary composition and regional influence. The collaboration between the Berliner Philharmoniker and Dudamel emphasized a commitment to diversifying the classical canon by integrating more works from Latin American composers [2, 6].
By hosting the event in an open-air setting, the orchestra sought to make the season-closing festivities more accessible to the public. The programming reflected a broader institutional effort to integrate global rhythms into the traditional orchestral framework [2, 6].
“The Berliner Philharmoniker performed composer Gabriela Ortiz’s piece “Kauyumari””
The inclusion of Gabriela Ortiz's work in a season-closing program at a venue as prominent as the Waldbühne signals a shift toward greater representation of Latin American composers within elite European orchestras. By pairing a high-profile conductor like Gustavo Dudamel with contemporary regional works, the Berliner Philharmoniker is actively expanding the traditional classical repertoire to reflect a more globalized musical landscape.
