Tour Dates: 28 December, 2012 - 7 January, 2013

On August 27, 1971, under the initiative of Enrique Bátiz Campbell and the government of the State of Mexico, the Symphony Orchestra of the State of Mexico was founded.

27 December, Meng Minwei Concert Hall, Tsinghua University, 010-62788104 / 62782334
28 December, National Center for the Performing Arts, 010-66550000
30-31 December, DR.SUN YAT-SEN’S MEMORIAL HALL, 020-83552030
4 January, Great Hall of the People in Nanning, 0771-5552800
6 January, Grand Auditorium, Macao Cultural Centre, +853 28700699

On August 27, 1971, under the initiative of Enrique Bátiz Campbell and the government of the State of Mexico, the Symphony Orchestra of the State of Mexico was founded. Located in the city of Toluca, and having its home the Sala Felipe Villanueva, the Orchestra has been characterized since the start by its endeavor to carry its message to all the municipalities of the state, to all corners of the country. The Symphony Orchestra of the State of Mexico and its artist director, Enrique Bátiz, enjoy well deserved fame as the most important symphony orchestra of the country.

Over 40 years of existence, the Symphony Orchestra of the State of Mexico has hosted innumerable guest directors and soloists chosen from the most outstanding in the world. The foreign conductors who have led to the orchestra include: Leon Barzin, Kurt Woess, Jose Iturbi, Piero Gamba, and Joel Levi.

Since its first tour in 1975, the orchestra has played a large number of concerts abroad, in USA, China, France, Germany, Spain, and Poland and so on. The highlights include: in 1975, the Symphony Orchestra of the State of Mexico made its first tour to the United States, returning continuously for three years since 1979 and performing in the most important cities. In 2005, accompanied by renowned soloists Filomena Moretti, Mark Zeltser and Koh Kameda, the orchestra achieved an overwhelming success in 2 concerts at the Salle Gaveau and Theatre Mogador in Paris. In the same year, the orchestra toured throughout China, performing 7 concerts in cities like Shanghai, Beijing, Shenyang and Harbin. In 2008 the orchestra performed their most extensive tour in the United States, with concerts in 48 cities from one coast to the other, which were highly acclaimed both by audiences and critics. In 2010, the orchestra received the honorable invitation to represent Spanish-American music culture at the 59th Festival of Music and Dance in Granada, Spain.

No other orchestras in Mexico made more recordings than the Symphony Orchestra of the State of Mexico. Their recordings include the works of Verdi and Rossini, and most of all the integral series of the symphonies of Beethoven, Schumann, Brahms and Tchaikovsky. They also made many recordings of Mexican and Spanish music with works of Isaac Albéniz, Joaquin Rodrigo, Manuel M. Ponce and Carlos Chavez.

Since 1996, both the orchestra and its artistic director have repeatedly received the Annual Award from the Mexican Union of Chroniclers of Theatre and Music.

Chief Conductor : Enrique Batiz

Enrique Batiz is one of the most famous orchestra conductors in Latin America and no doubt he is a gifted artist who has won international popularity and fame. The repertory of Enrique Batiz as a conductor ranges from classical to contemporary. He has been described as an artist who conducts with vehemence and enthusiasm, manifesting a deep understanding, exceptional even among the finest conductors.

Bátiz was born in Mexico City in 1942 and gave his first public performance, a piano concerto, at the age of 5. Over the course of his career he has acted as Director of the Orquesta Filharmonica de la Ciudad de Mexico, Orquesta Filharmonica del Estado de Mexico and the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. In 1971 he founded Symphony Orchestra of the State of Mexico (OSEM) and was the conductor of the Symphony Orchestra of the State of Mexico for 12 years (1971 - 1983), then of the Mexico City Philharmonic Orchestra for 7 years (1983 - 1989) and resumed directorship of the OSEM from 1990 to the present. Since 1984, he was named "guest conductor" of the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, and as an invited guest conductor, he has led more than 500 symphony orchestras around the world.

Bátiz's recordings with the OSEM demonstrate their wide repertoire, which includes the European masters as well as Mexican heritage music by Ponce, Revueltas, Moncayo, Galindo and Chavez.

Throughout Bátiz's career, he has received important awards: La primera Presea Bienal in Art from the State of Mexico Confederation of Professionals: "The International Gold Mercury" award of Rome, given for the first time to a Latin American artist; The Jose Marti and the Tlatelolco's Eagle Medal. In 1984 he won First Prize at the British Music Trades Association for his interpretation of French Music with the Symphony Orchestra of the State of Mexico (Debussy "Prelude of the afternoon of a Faun"); the 1986 "Rio Branco" medal, an official grade given by the Brazilian government for the worldwide digital recording of the nine "Bachianas Brasileiras" by Heitor Villa-Lobos; in four occasions (1971, 1981, 1983, and 1996) the annual prize as the most distinguished artist of the year from the Mexican Union of Teatrical and Musical broadcasters; his recording of the 3rd Symphony of Saint-Saens made in 1984 which was considered by the magazines "Gramophone" and the "Pengüin Stereo Records Guide" as the best recorded version of this piece. In 1986 The London Sunday Times considered his recording of Petrushka by Stravinsky as the recording of the year.

Special Thanks: