The Conservatory of the Federal University of Minas Gerais (UFMG) will host the Ramacrisna Philharmonic Orchestra on the 23rd at 7:30 p.m. for the performance “Instrumental Rock – Rock Classics.” The concert brings together orchestral music and major hits from Brazilian and international rock, in instrumental versions specially arranged for the group by conductor Eliseu Barros, who will also lead the performance. Admission is free.
With around 40 musicians on stage, the show features reinterpretations of iconic songs by artists and bands that have left their mark on different generations, such as Guns N’ Roses, Engenheiros do Havaii, Titãs, and Legião Urbana, among others. The aim is to demonstrate how symphonic language can engage with other musical styles, creating new possibilities for interpretation and bringing diverse audiences together. The performance will also feature soloists and a vocal quartet.
On stage, classical instruments take center stage in arrangements that explore the musical richness of artists who helped shape the history of rock. The result is a dynamic and accessible performance, capable of engaging both classical music enthusiasts and fans of the genre that has influenced generations worldwide.
The choice of the UFMG Conservatory to host the concert reinforces the connection between artistic education, cultural appreciation, and democratizing access to music. A leading institution in Minas Gerais’ cultural scene, the venue becomes the ideal setting for a performance that seeks to broaden the reach of instrumental music and highlight its ability to engage with diverse audiences.
For Solange Bottaro, vice president of the Ramacrisna Institute, the performance represents more than just a concert. “Every time our young people take the stage at a venue like the UFMG Conservatory, we demonstrate in practice the transformative power of art. Music opens paths, broadens horizons, and creates opportunities that impact not only artistic training but also the personal and social development of each participant. It is a great joy to share this work with the public in a space so important to Minas Gerais’s culture,” she notes.
Rated G and lasting approximately 90 minutes, the show promises to provide a musical experience marked by emotion, artistic quality, and the versatility of the repertoire.
About the Ramacrisna Philharmonic Orchestra
Founded in 2005, the Ramacrisna Philharmonic Orchestra was created with the purpose of bringing classical and instrumental music to children and youth in socially vulnerable situations in the Vianópolis community, in Betim. Conducted by Maestro Eliseu Barros, the group today consists of 50 young musicians and has performed at some of the major cultural venues in the Belo Horizonte metropolitan area, such as the CCBB, Teatro Bradesco, Cine Theatro Brasil, Palácio das Artes, and the PUC Minas Museum of Natural Sciences.
In 2024, the Orchestra experienced a historic moment by performing alongside Seu Jorge at a benefit concert celebrating the 65th anniversary of the Ramakrishna Institute at Cine Theatro Brasil. The event brought together around a thousand people and reaffirmed the power of music as an instrument of transformation and social inclusion.
Throughout its history, the Orchestra has shared the stage with major names in Brazilian and international music, such as Céu, Fernanda Takai, Lô Borges, Toninho Horta, Beto Guedes, Flávio Venturini, Mônica Salmaso, and Joyce Moreno, as well as Italian tenors Claudio Mattioli and Massimiliano Barbolini, lyric tenor Felipe Peletta, and American violinist Elizabeth Fayette.
The Ramacrisna Philharmonic Orchestra is supported by Machado Meyer Advogados, Instituto Machado Meyer, TSEA Energia, Fundação TSEA, Viasolo, Essencis, Ecovia, Residuo Zero Ambiental, and S-Riko, through the Federal Government’s Rouanet Law.
Event Details
Rock Classics with the Ramacrisna Philharmonic Orchestra
Date: June 23
Time: 7:30 p.m.
Venue: UFMG Conservatory – Belo Horizonte (Av. Afonso Pena, 1534, Belo Horizonte/MG)
Rating: All Ages
Duration: 90 minutes
Admission: Free, on a first-come, first-served basis
