Last month on September 18th, the Latin American and Iberian Studies Department, UNAM Boston, the Spanish Resource Center, and the Office of Global Programs at UMass Boston welcomed José Sanchís, the director of the Complutense University Symphonic Orchestra of Madrid. Sanchís, a trumpet player born in Valencia and a former student at Harvard, Yale, and UMass Boston guided us through the musical direction of the opera Zarzuela and emphasized the importance of an orchestra working, breathing, and planning an exquisite performance together. Highlights from this talk include how important it is for an orchestra to have the same vision for this Spanish opera, to follow the director while putting forth the emotions of the performers portrayed on stage through musical instruments, and using flexibility, emotional intelligence, and confidence during rehearsals and in front of an audience.

            José Sanchís gave an inspiring lecture on how musicians communicate visually with the director during rehearsals and performances, are proactive, and fully comprehend the story being told through music in complex and intricate operas such as Zarzuela. He brought us through finding the voice and soul of the musical pieces through the musicians, how they rehearsed the dramatics of each scene repeatedly, and how the connection between the music and the stage is always crucial to create a cohesive work of art. Through this talk, we learn about the small and large details of performing an opera from the eyes of the director, who acts as the anchor in the orchestra to maintain one vision of what an opera, or any musical work can become. His insightful reflections on creating this performance of Zarzuela opens a door to a world of creating beautiful music and performances together, and we thank him immensely for sharing this dynamic, emotional, and musically inclined work of art with us.

Amira Lucas