Florianópolis Orchestra Plays Led Zeppelin for 50th Anniversary

By Ricardo Wegrzynovski

FLORIANÓPOLIS, BRAZIL – Rock And Roll and Orchestra will be the fine mix prepared to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the British band Led Zeppelin.

On Friday, May 31st, the Orquestra Sinfônica de Santa Catarina (OSSCA) pledges to shake the structures of the Teatro Ademir Rosa, in Florianópolis, capital of the State of Santa Catarina.

“The project and rehearsals started last year, and it’s a mix of popular rock with classical and erudite elements,” said maestro José Nilo Valle, who also said he hoped the English band Led Zeppelin could watch the show and the tribute, “even if by a video”.

The “Especial Sinfônico Led Zeppelin” will feature the local band “Breakdown” in addition to the orchestra. The maestro said in an interview with The Rio Times that the project would soon feature interpretations of the Rolling Stones and Metallica.

The trend is to repeat last year’s success when they performed Queen and Bob Marley hits in the same style. There were eleven performances in all, and each one was sold-out.

Born in Nova Trento, the countryside of Santa Catarina, José Nilo Valle is the Artistic Director and Principal Conductor of the Orquestra Sinfônica de Santa Catarina.

He has a bachelor’s degree in Composition and Conducting of Orchestra and Opera, from the National Faculty of Music of the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro and holds a Full Degree in Music and Artistic Education from the Faculty of Music Education of the Federal University of Paraná in Curitiba.

Nilo Valle founded the Orquestra Sinfônica de Santa Catarina in 1992. A member of Conductor’s Guild International, Maestro Valle is also the author of a large number of musical works as well as technical and theoretical essays on music.

At the invitation of the American Biographical Institute (ABI), his name was included in the volume “5,000 Outstanding Musicians of The Twentieth Century” and in the British encyclopedia “Who is Who in Music”, published by Cambridge University, London.

As an incentive to musicians, Nilo Valle always says that “the greatest glory of a man is to contribute to society with what he is best at.”

Interview:

The Rio Times (TRT): What was the musical work like, bringing Led Zeppelin’s rock and roll to an orchestral performance?

Maestro José Nilo Valle (Maestro): We have been working on this special symphony project since last year. It’s a mixture of modern and classic elements.

Right now we’re focusing on Led Zeppelin. They have great songs. And we chose this band because they’re celebrating their fiftieth anniversary. To this end, we invited a local rock band, BreakDown, which already performs covers with great success.

TRT: Would you like the original members of Led Zeppelin to at least watch the orchestra’s performance on video?

Maestro: Yes, we would be honored if they could share their thoughts from London.

TRT: Tickets are sold out. This is a symbol of total success. Do you want to pursue this type of performance involving rock and roll and the orchestra?

Maestro: We will definitely continue this project in the future, with rock and roll bands. We have already scheduled a special performance next month when the Orchestra will be playing Rolling Stones songs.