Bad Bunny taps Sarasota Orchestra music director to lead orchestra during Super Bowl halftime show

Sarasota orchestra director performs in Super Bowl halftime show

When Giancarlo Guerrero, the Music Director of the Sarasota Orchestra, received an "unusual request" from his manager on a quiet Saturday in Miami, he had no idea he was about to become a part of Bad Bunny's historic Super Bowl halftime show.

SARASOTA, Fla. - When Giancarlo Guerrero, the Music Director of the Sarasota Orchestra, received an "unusual request" from his manager on a quiet Saturday in Miami, he had no idea he was about to become a part of music history.

Days later, he was standing on the 50-yard line of Levi’s Stadium, baton in hand, performing for a global audience of over 100 million people during Bad Bunny’s halftime show.

The backstory:

Guerrero is a six-time Grammy Award winner who stepped into the role of Music Director for the Sarasota Orchestra in 2024. As the seventh director in the orchestra’s 75-year history, he is more than just a conductor; he's the main cheerleader for the organization’s ambitious new Music Center project and a passionate advocate for youth music education in the region.

His journey to the world’s biggest stage began with a personal request from Bad Bunny himself.

According to Guerrero, Bad Bunny (Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio) specifically requested a live string orchestra and a professional conductor for the performance, rather than using synthesizers or recordings.

READ: Sarasota conductor appears in Bad Bunny’s halftime show: 'The music feels like home'

"Benito specifically asked for actual strings... and he was aware of my career and who I was," Guerrero shared with FOX 13's Regina Gonzalez.

SANTA CLARA, CA - FEBRUARY 08: Bad Bunny performs the halftime show during the Seattle Seahawks versus the New England Patriots Super Bowl LX game on February 8, 2026, at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, CA. (Photo by Bob Kupbens/Icon Sportswire via Ge

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However, before he could fly to San Francisco, he had to tell his biggest fans at home—his family. Despite a strict confidentiality agreement, Guerrero knew he had to let his daughters in on the secret.

"I told them that this was happening, and at first, they thought this was some sort of a joke," Guerrero recalled. "One of them even got angry that I thought I was being cruel and making some sort of a bad joke. I was like, 'Listen, this is actually happening.' And then they became very excited."

Big picture view:

While Guerrero is used to the prestige of the concert hall, the halftime show required the precision of a military operation. He described the process as "marching band" meets high-stakes television production.

"Normally, when I conduct, I go to my podium and stay there," Guerrero said. "Here, we had to be ready to step onto the field, hit our spot for the camera work, and make sure we didn't run into anybody."

Guerrero performed alongside a group of young musicians from the San Francisco area, positioned between global icons like Lady Gaga and Ricky Martin. He noted the "mind-blowing" precision of the stage crew, who assembled and struck the massive set in a matter of minutes while 70,000 fans in the stadium—and millions at home—watched every move.

What they're saying:

For Guerrero, the experience was about more than just the spectacle; it was a profound moment of cultural and musical bridge-building. He recalls that when he finally met Bad Bunny, the artist explained that the decision to hire a conductor was rooted in a deep appreciation for the craft.

"The reason why I wanted an actual orchestra and I wanted a conductor, is because I have way too much respect for what you guys do," Benito told him. "We want to showcase music in the right light." Guerrero says that from that moment on, the superstar became his "greatest hero" for giving classical music such a massive global platform.

Standing on the field, the scale of the moment felt almost surreal. "I have never experienced that in my life," Guerrero said, describing the sea of 70,000 people jumping and dancing in unison. "No rehearsal can ever prepare you to the actual performance when you know that this is going out to more than 100 million people. I'm glad I didn't think about it in that moment because I would've gotten nervous"

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Ultimately, Guerrero walked away, moved by the unity he saw backstage among the thousand-person crew. He felt as though the performance was a message to everyone—including those, like himself, who moved to the U.S. from other countries—about the power of coming together with generosity and joy. "He was speaking to all of us," Guerrero reflected. "It starts at the top. It starts with Benito. He brought it in a way that inspired the rest of us to do our best."

Guerrero is now back in his "musical home" in Sarasota, leading his musicians through their current season. While he doesn't have Bad Bunny on the current program, he joked that he’s looking for some reciprocity:.

"He should come here now! I’ll have my people talk to his people," he joked.