Conductor Giancarlo Guerrero Seen in Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl LX Halftime Show

NEW YORK, NY – February 8, 2026 – Classical conductor Giancarlo Guerrero – known for his contagious enthusiasm on the podium and his “interpretive creativity” (Chicago Tribune) – lent his talents to this year’s Super Bowl Halftime Show, headlined by Puerto Rican superstar Bad Bunny. Guerrero is the first classical musician to be featured in the Halftime show since Gustavo Dudamel’s appearance with YOLA in 2016.  
 
A globally celebrated conductor, Guerrero serves as the Music Director of Sarasota Orchestra, Artistic Director and Principal Conductor of the Grant Park Music Festival in Chicago, and the Music Director Laureate of the Nashville Symphony.

In the show, Guerrero was seen conducting a group of young string players, a platform upon which he is quite comfortable. Born in Nicaragua, Guerrero immigrated during his childhood to Costa Rica, where he joined the local youth symphony. He then came to the United States to study, earning degrees in percussion and conducting from Baylor University in Texas and Northwestern in Chicago. Given his beginnings in civic youth orchestras, Guerrero is particularly invested in sharing the transformative power of classical music with young people from diverse backgrounds.

 
Guerrero himself did not grow up with classical music in the house – his father loved mariachi, and his mom loved Julio Iglesias.  “Bad Bunny is a multi-talented artist who plays so many kinds of Hispanic music. It doesn’t just feel familiar, the music feels like home. It was quite an amazing experience to be a part of,” says Guerrero. “There are so many brilliant artists involved with the creation of this show and it was beyond inspiring to work with them and watch it all come together. How exciting to be a part of it all!”
 
“Both my daughters and wife are huge fans of Bad Bunny,” Guerrero adds.  “If I wouldn’t have jumped at this opportunity, they would never have forgiven me!”

About Giancarlo Guerrero
 
Giancarlo Guerrero is a six-time GRAMMY^® Award-winning conductor whose imaginative programming and “curatorial and interpretive creativity” (Chicago Tribune) draw out of his orchestras “exceptionally powerful and enchanting performances” (BBC Music Magazine). 2025 marks Guerrero’s first season as Artistic Director and Principal Conductor of the Grant Park Music Festival in Chicago. Guerrero also takes on the role of Music Director of Sarasota Orchestra in the 2025-26 season.

Guerrero is currently Music Director Laureate with the Nashville Symphony, following sixteen years as Music Director. During his tenure in Nashville, he championed the works of prominent American composers through commissions, recordings, and world premieres. Under Guerrero’s direction, the Nashville Symphony released twenty-one commercial recordings, which have garnered thirteen GRAMMY® nominations and six GRAMMY® Awards.

In recent seasons, Guerrero has led prominent North American orchestras including the New York Philharmonic, Los Angeles Philharmonic, Philadelphia Orchestra, Cleveland Orchestra and the San Francisco, Boston, Baltimore, Chicago, Cleveland, Dallas and Detroit Symphonies. Internationally, he has worked with orchestras in Bilbao, Frankfurt, London, Paris, São Paulo and Sydney.

Guerrero previously held posts as Music Director of the NFM Wroclaw Philharmonic, Principal Guest Conductor of both The Cleveland Orchestra, Miami Residency and the Gulbenkian Symphony in Lisbon, Music Director of the Eugene Symphony, and Associate Conductor of the Minnesota Orchestra.

Born in Nicaragua, Guerrero immigrated during his childhood to Costa Rica, where he joined the local youth symphony. He studied percussion and conducting at Baylor University and earned his master’s degree in conducting at Northwestern. Guerrero is particularly engaged with conducting training orchestras and has worked with the Curtis School of Music, Colburn School in Los Angeles, The Juilliard School, National Youth Orchestra (NYO2) and Yale Philharmonia. More at www.giancarlo-guerrero.com.