Eleazar de Carvalho |

Eleazar de Carvalho

The path of one of the largest conductors in Latin America began in an unusual way: after graduating from the naval school of the cabin boy, he served in the Brazilian Navy from the age of thirteen and played in the ship’s orchestra there. At the same time, in his free time, the young sailor attended classes at the National School of Music at the University of Brazil, where he studied with Paolo Silva and in 1540 received a diploma as a conductor and composer. After demobilization, Carvalho could not find a job for a long time and earned money by playing wind instruments in cabarets, casinos and entertainment venues in Rio de Janeiro. Later, he managed to enter the Municipal Theater as an orchestra player, and then to the Brazilian Symphony Orchestra. It was here that he made his debut at the podium, replacing the ill conductor. This earned him a position as an assistant and soon as a conductor at the Municipal Theatre.

The turning point in Carvalho’s career was in 1945, when he performed for the first time in Brazil in São Paulo the “All Beethoven Symphonies” cycle. The following year, S. Koussevitzky, impressed by the talent of the young artist, invited him as his assistant to the Berkshire Music Center and entrusted him with several concerts with the Boston Orchestra. This marked the beginning of the ongoing concert activity of Carvalho, who, constantly working at home, tours a lot, performs with all the best American orchestras, and since 1953 with orchestras from a number of European countries. According to critics, in the creative image of Carvalho “careful adherence to the score is complemented by an outstanding temperament, the ability to captivate the orchestra and listeners.” The conductor regularly includes works by Brazilian authors in his programs.

Carvalho combines conducting activities with composing (among his works, operas, symphonies and chamber music), as well as teaching as a professor at the National Academy of Music of Brazil. Carvalho was elected an honorary member of the Brazilian Academy of Music.

L. Grigoriev, J. Platek, 1969