‘I can’t stop these tears’: Chilean-Italian conductor Paolo Bortolameolli on his musical journey ahead of leading Latin American-themed New Year concerts in Hong Kong
- Paolo Bortolameolli will be in Hong Kong to conduct a Latin American programme with the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra on December 30 and 31
- He reveals why he wanted to become a conductor, his most important mentors, and why he’s the ‘happiest man alive every time I’m in a concert hall’
Chilean-Italian conductor Paolo Bortolameolli dreamed of being on the podium ever since his dad took him to a classical concert when he was seven years old.
“While I was listening to Beethoven’s Symphony No. 5, I got caught by emotion that I had never felt before and started crying,” the 40-year-old recalls.
“I hugged my dad and said, ‘I don’t understand what’s going on, but I can’t stop these tears.’ My dad was so moved he took me backstage after the concert.
“When I saw the conductor, I started crying again because I was overwhelmed by emotions. That night I told myself, ‘This is what I want to become.’ So becoming a conductor was my life goal.”
Bortolameolli is currently the music director of the Sinfónica Azteca (México), principal guest conductor of the Santiago de Chile Philharmonic Orchestra, and music director of Chile’s National Youth Symphony Orchestra.
