54th Festival Villa-Lobos

Every November since 1961 the Museu Villa-Lobos celebrates the Festival Villa-Lobos. The 54th annual celebration takes place in Rio de Janeiro from November 4-15, 2016. There are a number of important celebrations taking place at this year's Festival. One is the 150th anniversary of the birth of the great composer Anacleto de Medeiros, who was born July 16, 1866. Also, this year Moacir Santos would have been 90 years old.

But the star of this year's show is Egberto Gismonti. He was born on December 5, 1947, and according to the Festival Villa-Lobos website, his 70th birthday celebrations begin with this year's Festival. Gismonti will perform at the opening concert on November 4th.

There are various versions of this improvisation by Gismonti on Bachianas Brasileiras no. 5. This one is elegant, elaborate and beautiful.



Follow the Festival Villa-Lobos twitter feed for the latest information.

Villa-Lobos for trumpet & orchestra

Here's a brand-new video from the 49th Festival Villa-Lobos taking place this month in Rio. This is a fabulous new arrangement of the Saxophone Fantasia for trumpet and orchestra, by Roberto Duarte.

Marcelo Rodolfo from the Museu Villa-Lobos says this about the new piece in an email:

According to Flávio Gabriel, the splendid trumpet player who accepted the challenge, this is the most difficult work he ever played in his life. But the result, as you'll hear is worth it. A lot!!! My expectation is that other trumpet players will be encouraged to meet this challenge, too. Strangely, Villa-Lobos never wrote a work for trumpet, even in chamber music, just some solos in orchestral parts.

This concert is from November 19th, and featured Orquestra Sinfônica de Barra Mansa, under the direction of Vantoil de Souza. Two other concerto arrangements are being premiered at this year's Festival: Cirandas das Sete Notas (for cello - originally for bassoon), and the Guitar Concerto (for harp).

I'm anxious to hear what you Villa-Lobos lovers think about this new take on a very familiar work.

49th Annual Festival Villa-Lobos

The 49th Annual Festival Villa-Lobos takes place in Rio de Janeiro from November 11 to November 27. Featured performers include soprano Rosana Lamosa, pianist Lúcia Barrenechea, the Quinteto Villa-Lobos, Art Metal Quinteto, Quarteto Radamés Gnattali, violinist Daniel Guedes, Trio Aquarius, Wagner Tiso, Naná Vasconcelos, Andre Mehmari & Hamilton de Holanda, guitarist Turibio Santos, and pianist Cristina Ortiz.

46th Festival Villa-Lobos

Sorry I missed this when it first was announced. Thanks to the excellent AVRio blog for the heads-up.

39th Festival Villa-Lobos

O Globo On line, the online site of one of Brazil's media giants, has a feature on the 39th Festival Villa-Lobos, just under way in Rio de Janeiro. It includes a listing of concerts, some of which I didn't catch in my recent note (October 27, below) about the Festival.

There are only a couple of days left in the Festival. Go to VivaMusica! for a complete list of what's happening in Rio.

A fascinating radio archive from Brazil is available at Sistema Globo de Rádio - História, on the website of the media giant Globo. There's a five-minute feature entitled "Homenagem a Villa-Lobos", with commentary in Portuguese and some interesting-sounding historical music clips. Also included on this site are tributes to such important figures as Ary Barroso, Elis Regina, Caetano Veloso and Pixinguinha.

Festival Villa-Lobos

Rio de Janeiro is the site of the 39th Festival Villa-Lobos, organized by the Museu Villa-Lobos. Here are some of the events that will take place - for complete information on these concerts, go to VivaMusica!. I will also add these concerts to the Upcoming Villa-Lobos Concerts page real soon.

- On November 17, a Mass in Memory of Villa-Lobos will be performed at the Igreja Nossa Senhora Esperança.
- On November 19, a concert by Patrícia Endo, in the Sala Cecília Meireles.
- Guitarist Maria Haro and Friends perform on the 20th, also in the Sala Cecília Meireles.
- In the same venue on the 21st, an afternoon concert by the Orquestra Sinfônica Brasileira Jovem, followed that evening by a concert by pianist Marcelo Verzoni.

Among the other performers at the Festival are the Quinteto do Rio de Janeiro, soprano Carol McDavit and pianist Maria Teresa Madeira.