They are all ears, training, and artistic intuition. Behind major events in Madrid like Candlelight and other flagship productions by Fever Originals, a global team ensures the highest musical quality in every corner of the globe: they are the Fever Music Team, the group of experts who design the atmosphere and playlists for one of the capital’s premier events. They aren’t the ones we see on stage, but without these music curators there would be no concert (literally). And today we’re talking with them.
What is a music curator, and who are they?
Pablo, Lulu, Ricky, Aalok, Andy, Hyunmin, Paula Flores, Paula González, Tyler, Ana Sofía, Javi, Ross, German, and Adrian. Fourteen curators in total, spread across regions around the world and specialized in each of their respective areas.
And although they’re all part of the same team right now, their academic backgrounds are defined not only by their diversity but also by their excellence: PhDs, musicology at Oxford, a former professional Broadway actor, studies at Berklee…The vast majority play multiple instruments and have primarily trained in classical music, while others have expertise in other genres like jazz or musicals.
Active dancers and musicians from various disciplines whose role isto “ensure the quality of the artistic experience” and maintain it in the hundreds of other cities around the world. They are, essentially, the “scriptwriters” of the entire concert. From finding the performers to putting together the programs and creating the arrangements, for German the final result has to pass his litmus test: “Would I want my mom to go see it?”
From Mecano to Vallenatos: musical differences between regions
Not every program works for every city. The team places special emphasis on being sensitive to cultural and regional differences, especially when deciding which songs to include in the repertoire and which to leave out. “We talk a lot about democratization, but it’s also essential to talk about decolonization, ”they say.
And to do that, you also have to know the area for which the program is being prepared very well. “For example, if there’s a specific artist or genre popular in a region, we create a program designed explicitly for those areas, ”says Lulu. And programs like the one featuring Mecano in Madrid (Paula González’s favorite) or the Vallenatos in Colombia (German’s favorite) prove it:
The role of technology: the value of the human touch
At a time when ChatGPT solves our existential dilemmas about the weekly menu or tomorrow’s outfit , the Fever Music Team uses algorithms as tools for logistical and analytical support. But not as replacements for creativity. They insist that, although digital platforms and data metrics are very useful for tracking emerging trends on apps like TikTok or Spotify, the final decisions regarding artistic curation remain firmly rooted in human capabilities.
As Andy Deschenes notes, “music is a living, breathing thing, created by flesh-and-blood artists.” And while digital tools are great for optimizing data management and streamlining the administrative side, creative curation is rooted in the human element: the curators’ training, their sensibility, and their own life experiences.
Ana Sofía agrees with this view, especially because she believes that AI bases all its recommendations on automated numerical data: “And, while numbers are important, that’s not what really matters.” In fact, that same philosophy is what they follow when choosing the songs for each program. They don’t just select the best-known ones, but also those that stand out for their undeniable artistic quality, even if they’re less commercial.
What is the ultimate goal?
Whether at large-scale events or in more intimate settings like The Jazz Room, the curators’ goal is always to ensure a perfectly cohesive sonic journey for every audience member. “We don’t want classical music concerts to feel like a museum, but rather as part of an ongoing dialogue with culture,” says German. And, concert after concert, the entire team makes sure that’s exactly what happens.
Curators: Pablo Moreno Sánchez, Robert Tyler Bechtle, Javier Calderari Torres, Ricky Schweitzer, Ana Sofía Vela Ramirez, Andree-Ann Deschenes, Hyunmin Kang, German Ocampo Barrera, Adrian Martens, Paula González, Paula Flores, Lulu Whittington, Ross Raymond Mccaw, and Aalok Gandhi
