Sebastiao Salgado: Amazônia

Sebastião Salgado: Amazônia

Sebastião Salgado: Amazônia

An endless sea of ancient trees, mysterious river courses, and an overwhelming diversity of life—the Amazon rainforest is one of the last great wildernesses on Earth. Set against this fascinating, unique, and awe-inspiring landscape, the concert experience “Amazônia” celebrates the breathtaking beauty of the rainforest: On a giant screen, the spectacular Amazon photographs by the internationally acclaimed photographer Sebastião Salgado—who passed away in 2025—shine brilliantly, while the Stuttgart Philharmonic brings the images to life.

The centerpiece of the evening is Heitor Villa-Lobos’ monumental composition “Floresta do Amazonas,” a musical portrait of the rainforest. Salgado selected his photographs so that they enter into an intense dialogue with the musical motifs: “A perfect union, almost as if Villa-Lobos’s music had been written for these photos by Salgado,” says Italian-Brazilian conductor Simone Menezes, who conceived the project together with Salgado.

The program is complemented by an excerpt from “Aguas da Amazonia,” in which Philip Glass offers a poetic view of the Amazon’s waterways. “Amazônia” brings together the perspectives of great artists on the rainforest—and offers the audience a completely new, more intense view of it.

Program:
Heitor Villa-Lobos: “Bachianas Brasileiras” No. 4 – Prelúdio
Philip Glass: “Aguas da Amazonia”—Metamorphosis
Heitor Villa-Lobos: Suite “Floresta do Amazonas”—
, accompanied by photographs by Sebastião Salgado on a large screen

Cast:
Stuttgart Philharmonic Orchestra
Camila Titinger, soprano
Simone Menezes, conductor