The story
Hailey Rutledge is a talented young oboist scraping by in New York and desperate for a place in the New York Symphony. Her big break coincides with the arrival of Rodrigo De Souza, the orchestra's charismatic and wildly unconventional new conductor. Their paths tangle amid union rows, money worries, bruised egos and late-night adventures, in a playful look behind the curtain of the classical music world.
Why it matters
Adapted from oboist Blair Tindall's memoir, Mozart in the Jungle showed that a small, offbeat comedy about classical musicians could win top honours for a streamer: it took the Golden Globe for best musical or comedy series, and Gael García Bernal won best actor, at the 2016 ceremony.
Notable facts
- The series was inspired by oboist Blair Tindall's 2005 memoir Mozart in the Jungle: Sex, Drugs, and Classical Music. (source)
- Gael García Bernal's conductor Rodrigo is based on Gustavo Dudamel, who coached the actor and makes a cameo. (source)
- In character, García Bernal conducted a real Los Angeles Philharmonic performance at the Hollywood Bowl for the second season's opener. (source)
- Women composers and conductors became a central theme of the third and fourth seasons. (source)