The first season premiered in full on December 23, 2014. Three more seasons, each ten episodes long, followed in 2015, 2016 and 2018, before Amazon announced the show's cancellation.
Gael García Bernal as Rodrigo De Souza, the new conductor of the New York Symphony
Lola Kirke as Hailey Rutledge, an oboist with a yearning ambition to play with the New York Symphony. She develops a strong bond with Rodrigo as the series progresses.
Bernadette Peters as Gloria Windsor, the president of the New York Symphony (recurring, season 1; seasons 2–4)
Malcolm McDowell as Thomas Pembridge, the conductor emeritus of the New York Symphony
Saffron Burrows as Cynthia Taylor, a cellist with the New York Symphony
Hannah Dunne as Elizabeth "Lizzie" Campbell, Hailey's roommate and best friend
Peter Vack as Alex Merriweather, Hailey's dancer boyfriend (seasons 1–2)
The many oboe solos played by the protagonist and other characters throughout the series are performed by Lelie Resnick, principal oboist of the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra, while the character of Rodrigo is loosely based on Gustavo Dudamel, the Venezuelan music director of the Los Angeles Philharmonic.[4] Dudamel coached García Bernal before the latter conducted, in the character of Rodrigo, for a real performance of the Los Angeles Philharmonic at the Hollywood Bowl, scenes of which were used for the second season opener.[5] Dudamel has a cameo in that episode, acting as a stagehand trying to convince Rodrigo to move to Los Angeles. Other musicians with cameos in the series are violinist Joshua Bell, pianists Emanuel Ax and Lang Lang, composers Anton Coppola and Nico Muhly, Broadway star Brian d'Arcy James and conductors Alan Gilbert and Bernard Uzan. Blair Tindall, oboist and writer of the book on which the series is based, also appears in a cameo.[6] Much of the original music for the show (most notably "Impromptu", and other work presented within the show's continuity as by Thomas Pembridge) is composed by contemporary composer Missy Mazzoli.[7] For Pembridge's more experimental music in Season 4, the show turned to another female composer, Laura Karpman.[8] Irish composer and conductor Eímear Noone served as Lola Kirke's real-life conducting coach in season four.[9] Interior shots of the home concert hall were filmed at the Performing Arts Center at SUNY Purchase.[10]
In addition to behind-the-scenes contributions from Mazzoli, Karpman and Noone, the theme of underrepresented, and unjustly forgotten and overlooked women composers and conductors in the world of classical music became central in the show's third and fourth seasons. Historical female composers who appear in the show include Vítězslava Kaprálová, Isabella Leonarda, Nannerl Mozart and Fanny Mendelssohn. The fourth season featured Pulitzer Prize-winning contemporary composer Caroline Shaw appearing as herself (and the characters perform one of her actual compositions).[9] Composer Paola Prestini also makes a brief cameo in season four, playing one of her own compositions.[11]
The first season of the series received positive reviews. Review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes gave the series a 'fresh' 91% rating based on 35 critic reviews, with the critical consensus "Though confined to the isolated world of classical music, Mozart in the Jungle's Gael Garcia Bernal makes this charming little show sing."[20]Metacritic gave the series a 73 out of 100, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[21] Cory Barker, writing for TV.com, praised the series. "What works so well is that Mozart isn't afraid to throw you into a world you're likely unfamiliar with, but it doesn't swim so far into the deep end that you immediately drown in jargon and distanced dramatic stakes."[22] Robert Lloyd, writing for the Los Angeles Times, also lauded the first season. He stated that "Characters who were mouthpieces for attitudes start to seem like people, more complicated than a thumbnail description can accommodate. You grow interested in what will become of them without expecting or rooting for any particular outcome."[23] Kory Grow of Rolling Stone also praised the series: "Thanks to quirky scripts and a smart ensemble cast... it comes off whimsical without ringing off-pitch."[24]
Tim Goodman of The Hollywood Reporter also gave the first season a positive review: "Bernal is both likable and magnetic, and makes the eclectic maestro surge on the screen. He alone is worth streaming the series, but, thankfully, there's a lot more going on here."[25] Brian Lowry, writing for Variety, also lauded the series: "While Mozart is surely a niche confection, the show generally shines by proving long on charm even when it's short on laughs."[26] In a more mixed review, Jeff Jensen of Entertainment Weekly gave the series a B−.
Some socially-minded critics have praised the show's push for gender equity, while others have critiqued the "almost all-white orchestra and main cast" as unrealistic, given the prevalence of East Asian musicians in real-life orchestras.[27]
