Sondheim at the Sondheim
My first contact with musical theatre happened by chance in 2003, when I started playing at “El Fantasma de la Ópera” in Madrid. Musical theatre wasn’t “a thing” there in the same way that it was a big thing in London or New York, at least it wasn’t for me!
Mariano Detry and me in Barcelona in 2011, doing our Sondheim courses
When I got the job I started investigating a bit about musical theatre: searching online, buying DVD’s, albums, sheet music… and I came across this “weird” composer called Stephen Sondheim - he wasn’t “comercial” according to some, and his music was certainly special and different to everything else I found.
Some of it I loved straight away, some of it I grew to love unconditionally the more I educated myself in the genre.
7 years later, when conducting “Los Miserables” in Madrid and Barcelona, my friend Mariano Detry and I run a week of classes working purely on his material (then, Mariano gave me as a present the two wonderful books “Look, I made a hat” and “Finishing the hat” which I highly recommend to any Sondheim enthusiast!)
Ever since I started conducting symphonic concerts in 2015 I have always tried to incorporate some of his songs, you rarely have the chance to conduct this music with a symphony orchestra! Well, at least, I rarely have that chance!
Julian Ovenden and the OBC in Barcelona (2018)
In May 2022, I will have the honour to conduct a gala in which we will celebrate his music, his world, surrounded by many of his Old friends, artists that I have followed growing up, people who originated these roles with him shaping what it would be a path of inspiration for generations to come.
It will be undoubtedly an evening to remember!
Some of the artists invited to sing
