Lyric Opera 2025-2026 Issue 3 - Coco

Lyric Opera of Chicago | 12 A mong his many international engagements, Chilean conductor Gonzalo Farias has become known for his dynamic leadership and ability to bring film scores vividly to life in the concert hall. With this special presentation of Disney and Pixar’s Coco in Concert Live to Film, he makes his Lyric Opera of Chicago debut, a landmark for any conductor. Here, Maestro Farias shares his reflections on the artistry and meaning behind bringing Coco to Lyric’s stage. What is the process like to transform a beloved animated film into a live orchestral performance? Conducting films with orchestra is a unique art — one that combines the precision of synchronization with the expressive power of live music. Technically, the musicians follow my gestures while we are guided by an in-ear click track that ensures the orchestra remains perfectly aligned with the animation. This is especially important for Coco , where the film features not only symphonic music but also moments of folk and popular singing that must be seamlessly integrated. The challenge — and the joy — comes in rediscovering the human side of music-making within these strict parameters. That is what transforms the experience beyond what you hear in a cinema: a live orchestra restores nuance, color, and vitality to the storytelling. Conducting, after all, is storytelling through gesture — shaping sound so that every note carries memory, longing, and feeling. In Coco , this becomes even more profound: the orchestra itself becomes a living voice for the story, translating culture and love into sound that I hope will resonate in the concert hall. The score for Coco is such a vibrant part of the storytelling.What do you love most about Michael Giacchino’s music for this film? Michael Giacchino’s score, together with Germaine Franco’s arrangements, places tradition at the very heart of the narrative. The music is both expansive and intimate: marimbas, guitars, and flutes evoke plazas, kitchens, festivals, and family gatherings, while also carrying the intimacy of generational memory. Conducting Coco: Gonzalo Farias on Music and Storytelling