New York Philharmonic To Present U.S. Premiere Of EL CANTO DE LAS MANOS
Documentary directed by María Valverde screens November 7 at David Geffen Hall with live performance and discussion featuring Gustavo Dudamel and Bradley Cooper.
By: A.A. Cristi Oct. 17, 2025
The New York Philharmonic, in partnership with Rolex and in collaboration with Lincoln Center, The Juilliard School, and DOC NYC, will present the U.S. premiere screening of El Canto de las Manos on Friday, November 7, 2025, at 7:30 p.m. at the Wu Tsai Theater, David Geffen Hall.
Directed by María Valverde, the documentary chronicles the 2022 production of Beethoven’s Fidelio conducted by Gustavo Dudamel, now the NY Phil’s Tang Music & Artistic Director Designate. The film centers on the Coro de Manos Blancas, a Venezuelan ensemble of Deaf, hard of hearing, and visually and cognitively impaired performers, alongside artists from Deaf West Theatre.
Prior to the screening, Dudamel will lead the Juilliard Orchestra, a vocal quartet of Juilliard students, and Deaf actors from Deaf West Theatre in a performance of Mir ist so wunderbar from Fidelio. Following the film, Bradley Cooper, actor, filmmaker, and New York Philharmonic Board Member, will moderate a conversation with Dudamel, Valverde, and DJ Kurs, Artistic Director of Deaf West Theatre.
In describing the project, Valverde noted that the film explores how music serves as both expression and refuge for its performers: “This is a story of justice — of how art transcends the visible and transforms its protagonists into guides who illuminate a new way of experiencing music, one that comes from a deeper level of awareness; a declaration of freedom and dignity.”
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