When football met Revueltas — in a night of Latino brilliance

While the Chicago Bears battled it out in a divisional NFL playoff just blocks away at Soldier Field, something equally electrifying — and arguably more transcendent — was unfolding Jan. 18 at Symphony Center. Against all odds, the hall was sold out as Mexico’s premier orchestra, the Sinfónica de Minería, made its long-awaited Chicago debut under the masterful baton of Carlos Miguel Prieto. Touchdown or not, Chicago chose music — and what a choice it was.

The program unfolded like a musical passport. It opened with the raw, visceral energy of Silvestre Revueltas’ Sensemayá, a work made even more meaningful by Revueltas’ Chicago ties — he studied composition and violin at the Chicago Musical College (now part of Roosevelt University) in the late 1910s and early 1920s. From there, the orchestra pivoted effortlessly to the elegance and balance of Haydn, featuring the dazzling trumpet virtuosity of Pacho Flores, before bursting into the irresistible rhythm, color and playfulness of Paquito D’Rivera with the cuatro played by Héctor Molina. The evening culminated with the four-part epic La noche de los Mayas (Night of the Mayas) by Revueltas. This was not just a concert; it was a masterclass in history, culture and sound. What an education.

The emotional high point came during Night of the Mayas, when ancient Mayan instruments transformed the concert hall into a living ritual. Earthy percussion from wooden slit drums merged with haunting flutes and whistles that echoed animal calls from another time, while the raw cry of the conch-shell trumpet added depth and intensity — instantly transporting me back to Xcaret in Quintana Roo, Mexico. Crafted from nature itself, these instruments don’t merely make music, they summon memory, ancestry and spirit. In those moments, centuries collapsed into minutes, and the audience traveled — together.

Then came a moment of pure thrill: a surprise improvisational cadenza featuring Venezuelan cuatro virtuoso Héctor Molina, a Latin Grammy winner, with trumpet and percussion. As Maestro Prieto announced the improvisation, the music morphed effortlessly, from jazzy riffs to the infectious pulse of joropo (Venezuela’s national dance and music style) and then into danzón. The audience was spellbound. Hearts raced. Minds leaned forward. It was one of those rare moments when you realize you are witnessing something truly unforgettable.

And the orchestra wasn’t done yet.

Each segment was followed by an encore, and the surprises kept coming. First, Oblivion — Astor Piazzolla’s haunting tango, filled with melancholy and nostalgia — floated through the hall. Then came the emotional knockout punch. Maestro Prieto dedicated the final encores to UNAM Chicago, celebrating its 25th anniversary as a Chicago campus. What followed was pure magic: Arturo Márquez’s Danzón No. 2 and Huapango, the iconic Mexican folk celebration bursting with rhythm, soaring violin lines and the spirit of zapateado. For many Mexicans in the audience, these were the sounds of childhood, family and home. Tears flowed. Pride swelled. Symphony Center pulsed with shared memory.

To cap off the night, Maestro Prieto returned to the stage for a third curtain call —  this time sporting a Chicago Bears sweatshirt and waving the team’s flag. The hall erupted in laughter and applause, a perfect, playful nod to the city and a reminder that this extraordinary evening belonged not just to music, but to Chicago.

The experience extended well beyond the stage at a post-concert Noche de Bellas Artes — a celebration of fine arts that also alluded to Mexico City’s iconic Palacio de Bellas Artes, where the Sinfónica de Minería has performed and which appeared beautifully in the background of photos, which I had captured. The reception, held in Orchestra Hall’s Grainger Ballroom, brought Latino Alliance members together for an intimate and inspiring Q&A with Carlos Miguel Prieto and Pacho Flores, thoughtfully moderated by Jesús Del Toro, a leading authority on Revueltas and author of Silvestre Revueltas: una aproximación a su presencia en Estados Unidos.

Del Toro’s questions sparked reflections on music, identity and artistic responsibility — putting words to what the audience had just felt. Maestro Prieto spoke of certain instruments as “the condiments that infuse the magic” into a musical work, while Flores reflected on his upbringing in El Sistema, Venezuela’s revolutionary, publicly funded music-education program, and how it profoundly shaped both his life and his artistry.

For many of us, Maestro Prieto’s presence felt deeply personal. I first heard him conduct the Chicago Symphony Orchestra in 2016, then again in 2017 at Bellas Artes in Mexico City. Since then, I’ve followed his journey closely. Renowned, disciplined and deeply committed to elevating talent, Prieto has done just that for years through his leadership of the Youth Orchestra of the Americas, nurturing the next generation of musicians across the hemisphere.

Adding to the reception’s significance was the presence of Jorge Federico Osorio, the Mexican-born pianist with profound Chicago roots. Having performed multiple times at Symphony Center and Ravinia — including the monumental feat of playing all five Beethoven piano concertos with the CSO — Osorio is a beloved figure in the city’s musical life. A longtime resident and faculty member at Roosevelt University, Osorio with his attendance represented a symbolic embrace between generations of Latino excellence.

This was more than a concert. It was a celebration. A dialogue. A collective heartbeat.

An unforgettable evening of artistry, connection and pride — exactly what the CSO Latino Alliance seeks to bring through our Nuestras Noches series: world-class culture and just as important, a thriving, connected community.

¡Nos vemos el próximo mes!

Carlos Miguel Prieto is an internationally acclaimed, Grammy-winning Mexican conductor celebrated for his dynamic leadership and passionate advocacy of Latin American music. Music director of Sinfónica de Minería and the North Carolina Symphony, he has led major orchestras around the world while championing new works and underrepresented voices. A Princeton and Harvard graduate, Prieto combines intellectual depth with expressive energy, using music as a bridge between cultures, generations and traditions. Read more at his site.