San Miguel de Allende has its own symphony orchestra. Do you know what that means?

It is the central gem in our cultural crown.

The city, for its small size, sparkles with opera, chamber music, writers, painters, and poets. (You know the saying, “If you aren’t an artist when you move to San Miguel, you will soon become one.”)

For the longest time, we’ve gotten by on occasional fly-bys from big-city orchestras and the wonderful youth symphony adventures.

Last night marked an epochal change in the music landscape in San Miguel, and we barely saw it coming. (Lucky you, if you attended the symphony’s preview performance last November. You knew, didn’t you?)

Well, plenty did. 

In a nearly filled Angela Peralta Theater, the 42 musicians of the new Orquesta Sinfónica de San Miguel de Allende, under the guidance of director and founder Maestro Victor Hugo Ramos Fonseca, inaugurated its first full season.

And it was brilliant.

With the crisp and triumphant opening foray into the Overture to The Marriage of Figaro, the symphony made its presence known. It was a joyous romp.

The first of the evening’s three soloists stepped forward for a Mozart sequel (his swan song), the first movement from the Clarinet Concerto in A major (k.622). The clarinetist Israel Esparza is also on the faculty at the University of Guanajuato. Esparza’s lyrical low register sparked something primal in this listener’s ears. 

In fact, each composition, in this veritable smorgasbord of classical entrees elicited strong emotions.

Whether it was the lanky concertmaster Turkkan Osman driving Max Bruch’s popular Violin Concerto No. 1 in G minor, or cellist Michael Severens bringing intensity to Edward Elgar’s Concerto for cello in E minor, or the whole grand ensemble painting popular works of Edvard Grieg and Jean Sibelius in rich aural hues, the nascent symphony orchestra issued a profound statement.

And that is: We’re here. We’re 10 rows deep in talent. And we’re going to knock your socks off at least once a month.

And that’s the best news. The Symphony Orchestra of San Miguel will return to the Angela Peralta on February 17, March 25, April 24, and May 25.

There is so much more to learn about this orchestra. Like, where do all these young and talented musicians come from? How on earth did Maestro Ramos Fonseca build a whole orchestra from the ground up? Can more concerts be added if the initial calendar fills up quickly enough? Will the orchestra segue into full compositions, rather than an adagio here, an allegro there, and a tasty excerpt on top? Will Mexican composers find their way into the repertoire? What can we do to ensure that the symphony flourishes as a permanent jewel in the SMA crown? Who handles the logistics for such a massive undertaking? Where do you get all those tuxedos?

And I don’t have the answers.

One note that came, not from an instrument in the orchestra but from the maestro himself, during his opening remarks, hints at his long-term vision for the symphony.

Victor Hugo Ramos Fonseca is well known for his work with the city’s youth orchestra. He said last night that he hopes the continued success of the San Miguel Symphony will create a welcoming space into which today’s young musicians will be able to grow.

Like the concert itself, simply brilliant