The Music of Chiquinha Gonzaga

Moira Lo Bianco B.M. ’12 will present the music of legendary composer Chiquinha Gonzaga in a concert featuring Lo Bianco on piano, Fernando Brandao on flute, Sergio Krakowski on pandeiro, and a string quartet of Berklee students: Francesca Rijks, Seoyeon Im, Jennifer Frantz, and Parker Ousley.

The concert will explore Gonzaga’s most famous compositions in a choro setting mixed with classical influences. This presentation culminates Lo Bianco’s study of Gonzaga’s music, made possible by the Berklee Faculty Fellowship grant.

Gonzaga was born in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, in 1847. Her adventurous spirit and diverse ethnic background helped shape her into a pioneering composer, conductor, performer, teacher, and writer. She also was an advocate of human rights, fighting for the abolition of slavery and the end of military dictatorship in Brazil.

Mixing European forms (waltz and polka, among others) with African rhythms, her music is an early expression of choro musical style, capturing the Carioca spirit at its best.