Minas Gerais Philharmonic Orchestra

The Minas Gerais Philharmonic Orchestra is a major regional Brazilian ensemble. The group has made several recordings and has been heard well beyond its home area. The Minas Gerais Philharmonic was formed in 2008 in Belo Horizonte, the capital of Brazil's Minas Gerais state in the southeastern part of the country. The orchestra made its debut on February 21 of that year with a performance of Beethoven's Symphony No. 9 in D minor, Op. 125 ("Choral"), with Fabio Mechetti conducting; he remains the principal conductor and artistic director. In 2015, the Minas Gerais Philharmonic moved into the new Sala Minas Gerais concert hall, expressly designed for symphonic music. In 2023, the Minas Gerais Philharmonic issued an album of overtures and preludes by Carlos Gomes.