If you watched the Super Bowl halftime show and know classical music, you may have spotted a familiar face.
It was none other than Giancarlo Guerrero, the six-time Grammy Award-winning conductor and music director of the Sarasota Orchestra.
He's the first classical musician to be featured in the big game's halftime concert since Gustavo Dudamel and the Youth Orchestra Los Angeles performed with rock band Coldplay in 2016.
Sarasota Orchestra President and CEO Joe McKenna said it was special to have their director on such a big stage.
“It was a fantastic experience for the orchestra,” he said. “There’s one Super Bowl, and they needed one conductor, and our music director was there. What more can you say?”
During the performance, Guerrero was seen directing a group of violinists as Bad Bunny’s “MONACO” played through the speakers in Levi’s Stadium.
“Bad Bunny is a multi-talented artist who plays so many kinds of Hispanic music,” he said in a press release. “It doesn’t just feel familiar; the music feels like home. It was quite an amazing experience to be a part of.”
The performance surprised even those in Guerrero’s inner circle, as the NFL required him to sign a non-disclosure agreement prior to the show.
“His manager was contacted about this possibility at the Super Bowl. They worked on all the details and we had some knowledge, but we couldn't speak of it because of the strict NDA that is in place with the NFL,” McKenna said. “We had to wait until we all saw him on the Super Bowl itself before we could share any of the wonderful news. But it's been a really exciting day here in Sarasota.”
Guerrero said he had a more personal reason for taking part in the show.
“Both my daughters and wife are huge fans of Bad Bunny,” he said. “If I wouldn’t have jumped at this opportunity, they would never have forgiven me.”
Guerrero is returning to Sarasota to lead the orchestra in Masterworks: Variations on America, Feb. 12-15.
The first performance on Feb. 12 will take place at the Neel Performing Arts Center in Bradenton, while the remaining three will be at the Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall in Sarasota.
