Eagle-eyed Chicago classical-music fans spotted a familiar face during Bad Bunny\u2019s Sunday evening Super Bowl halftime show: Giancarlo Guerrero,<\/u><\/a> artistic director and principal conductor of the Grant Park Music Festival.<\/p>\n Guerrero was spotlighted among some 700 performers who took part in Bad Bunny\u2019s sprawling performance, which included famed vocalists Ricky Martin and Lady Gaga as well as singers and musicians across a wide range of genres. <\/p>\n Guerrero, who was named to the Grant Park Music Festival post in 2024 and conducted his first concerts last summer, led a 30-member string orchestra composed of San Francisco-area musicians in the song \u201cMonaco.\u201d<\/p>\n Guerrero(left) led a group of San Francisco-area classical musicians in the song \u201cMonaco\u201d during Bad Bunny\u2019s Super Bowl halftime performance.<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/p>\n Courtesy of Grant Park Music Festival <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure><\/div><\/div>\n \u201cIt has been an absolutely unbelievable, unforgettable, life-changing experience all-around,\u201d Guerrero told WBEZ\/Chicago Sun-Times on Sunday night after just getting back to his hotel room. \u201cTo be part of it, honestly, is one of the greatest joys in my life and something that will stay with me forever.\u201d<\/p>\n In what he called a \u201cbeautiful surprise,\u201d Guerrero was invited to take part in the show just nine days before it took place. He rushed to San Francisco last Tuesday to begin rehearsals after signing a non-disclosure agreement that he would not discuss his participation ahead of time.<\/p>\n \u201cIt all came about very, very quickly. My manager got a call from Bad Bunny\u2019s people saying that he had requested me to be part of the show. They wanted a prominent Latino conductor, and I immediately jumped at the idea,\u201d said Guerrero, who was born in Nicaragua and grew up in Costa Rica.<\/p>\n Giancarlo Guerrero, the artistic director and principal conductor of the Grant Park Music Festival and Orchestra, poses for a portrait at the Pritzker Pavilion in May 2025. Guerrero led his first season for the popular summer festival last summer. <\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/p>\n Victor Hilitski\/For the Sun-Times<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure><\/div><\/div>\n The six-time Grammy Award-winning conductor was the first major classical music figure to take part in a Super Bowl halftime show since another noted maestro, Gustavo Dudamel, did so in 2016.<\/p>\n \u201cThe fact that he [Bad Bunny] wanted to include an actual string orchestra with an actual conductor tells you his musical interests go beyond what you would think: pop,\u201d Guerrero said of the Puerto Rican rapper and singer. \u201cI think it\u2019s a great moment particularly for classical music, because normally it gets overlooked.\u201d<\/p>\n The 10-week Grant Park festival takes place each summer in Millennium Park\u2019s Pritzker Pavilion. This year\u2019s lineup<\/u><\/a> will feature a heavy dose of music from American composers, as the country marks its 250th birthday. The first concert is scheduled for June 10.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat can I say about Benito [Antonio Mart\u00ednez Ocasio], Bad Bunny. What a talent, what a musician,\u201d Guerrero said. \u201cI have to say this has been beyond my wildest dreams.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n![\"Giancarlo](\"https:\/\/cst.brightspotcdn.com\/dims4\/default\/03551dd\/2147483647\/strip\/true\/crop\/3000x2000+0+0\/resize\/840x560!\/quality\/90\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F62%2Fdd%2Fbadfc5e04808a3e5f55f6c0d948c%2Fgiancarlo-05xx25-19.jpg\")
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