The Palacio de Bellas Artes in Mexico is celebrating its 90th anniversary

On September 29, 1934, under the presidency of Abelardo L. Rodríguez, the Palacio de Bellas Artes was officially inaugurated. The president was accompanied by his cabinet, members of the diplomatic corps, public officials, and artists such as Dolores del Río. Juan Ruiz de Alarcón's, La Verdad Sospechosa was selected to inaugurate the stage, with María Tereza Montoya playing the lead role.

Construction began at the end of the Porfiriato, but the Mexican Revolution delayed its completion until 1931, when architect Federico Mariscal resumed the project. Since then, the building, which was named Palacio de Bellas Artes at its inauguration, has become the country's foremost artistic venue, hosting national and international figures from all artistic disciplines.

The National Institute of Fine Arts and Literature (INBAL) has organized a series of events to celebrate nine decades since the opening of this iconic cultural center. One of the highlights is a concert commemorating the 200th anniversary of Ludwig von Beethoven's Ninth Symphony, which will take place this Tuesday at 8:00 p.m., featuring the National Opera Company in the Main Hall.

The National Symphony Orchestra (OSN) will also join the celebration with a concert dedicated to the Palacio. Led by its principal conductor, Ludwig Carrasco, the ensemble will kick off its season on Friday, September 27, with a special program that includes Festive Overture by Carlos Vidaurri (1961), the re-premiere of the Suite from the Ballet Corrida de Feria, Op. 9b by Spanish composer Salvador Bacarisse and Richard Strauss’s symphonic poem A Hero’s Life, Op. 40. The program will be repeated on Sunday, September 29, at 12:15 p.m.

Later that same day, at 5:00 p.m., the National Symphony Orchestra of Mexico and the Ballet Folklórico de México de Amalia Hernández will come together for a gala featuring works such as Mexico (Galopa) by Ángela Peralta; Indian Symphony by Carlos Chávez; Sensemayá by Silvestre Revueltas; Mariachi Songs by Blas Galindo; Nereidas by Amador Pérez Dimas; a medley by Dámaso Pérez Prado, and Huapango by José Pablo Moncayo.

On the same day, at 2:15 p.m., a ceremony will be held to unveil a commemorative postal stamp.

The Palacio de Bellas Artes Museum will also participate in the festivities, showcasing exhibitions such as Ángela Gurría: Señales, which features 165 works by the artist in various formats, dimensions, and materials.

Another scheduled activity is the exhibition Mexica Witnesses Beneath a Palace, presented by the National Museum of Architecture, which will be open to the public from September 26 to March 30, 2025. This exhibit highlights the archaeological pieces discovered over the years where the Palacio and its square now stand. In addition, the building's history is chronicled in the exhibit Memory of Art and Architecture, located at the Auditorio station of the Metro system.

 

Contenido publicado originalmente en El Heraldo de México.