Since its creation in 1980 by the conductor Braz de Pina Filho, the Goiás Philharmonic Orchestra has committed itself to the democratisation of classical music in the Brazilian state of Goiás by placing particular emphasis on Brazilian music in its programmes.

In 2012, the orchestra underwent a major restructure that ushered in its most fruitful and creative period and led to the appointment in 2014 of Neil Thomson as Principal Conductor and Artistic Director. Under Thomson’s leadership the orchestra rapidly grew from its standing as an ensemble of local importance to one of national importance. Now widely regarded as one of the top three orchestras in Brazil, the Goiás Philharmonic Orchestra is known for its energetic and dynamic playing style and innovative approach to programming.

The orchestra has given the South American premieres of Messiaen’s Des canyons aux étoiles, Boulez’s Rituel in memoriam Bruno Maderna and Nono’s Como una ola de fuerza y luz. It is also engaged in a ten-year project to film the complete Haydn symphonies, ‘Haydn no Cerrado’.

Photo: Rafaella Pessoa

Neil Thomson (b. 1966) studied conducting at the Royal College of Music with Norman Del Mar and at Tanglewood summer school with Leonard Bernstein.

He has been principal conductor and artistic director of the Goiás Philharmonic Orchestra since 2014, leading the orchestra to national prominence with its championing of Brazilian and contemporary repertoire. He also enjoys a busy international career working with all the major UK orchestras and the Yomiuri Nippon Symphony Orchestra, Tokyo Philharmonic Orchestra, Tokyo Symphony Orchestra, Russian National Orchestra, São Paulo State Symphony Orchestra (Osesp), WDR Rundfunkorchester, Lahti Symphony Orchestra and the Romanian National Orchestra, among others.

He has performed with many distinguished soloists including Dame Felicity Lott, Sir Thomas Allen, Sir James Galway, Nelson Freire, Jean Louis Steuerman and Antonio Meneses. From 1992 to 2006 he was professor of conducting at the Royal College of Music, London, the youngest person ever to hold this position. He was made an Honorary Member of the RCM in recognition of his services to the institution.

www.neilwthomson.com

César Guerra-Peixe was an ethnomusicologist, violinist, composer and conductor from Pétropolis, a city in the mountainous state of Rio de Janeiro. His study of frevo, maracatu, caboclinho and carimbós (Afro-Brazilian performance genres practised at Carnival, involving dance, music and ritual re-enactments) influenced his compositional style, particularly in the usage of dance rhythms based on percussion patterns, melodic scales and intervals derived from this music.