The PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA OF THE AMERICAS was founded in 2004 by then-23-year-old Mexican conductor and pianist Alondra de la Parra. Her vision has materialized into what is now an international symphony orchestra serving as a platform to showcase young composers and performers from the Americas. The Orchestra itself comprises the next generation of emerging classical music talent (mostly aged under 35); members hail from 22 different countries.

Since its inception, the Philharmonic Orchestra of the Americas has performed for the President of Mexico; been hosted at the White House, the Mexican Embassy, and the Canadian Consulate; performed for over 30,000 concertgoers in New York, Mexico City, Guadalajara, Oaxaca, Dallas, and Washington, D.C., among other cities; provided important New York City debut opportunities to almost 20 emerging soloists from the Americas; performed 10 world premieres of American composers; established an international Young Composers’ Competition; and initiated the innovative “Niños” arts and education program for underprivileged youth in the United States and Mexico.

Most recently, the Orchestra made its well-received debut as orchestra-in-residence at the prestigious Napa Valley Festival del Sole in July 2009, and returned to the Music Festival of the Americas at Stowe in August 2009.

During the 2009/10 and 2010/11 seasons, the Orchestra will present a celebration of Mexico’s Bicentennial, rediscovering and incorporating the great masterworks of Mexican classical music from the past 200 years into all of its concerts and tours, and making a 2-CD Mexican Bicentennial recording for Sony Music.