BIOGRAPHY

Appointed Musician of the Year for 1995 by the musical critics of Rio de Janeiro, Roberto Tibiriçá presented musical lovers of that city with several first audition performances of choice classical pieces, such as Rachmaninoff’s Second Symphony and Symphonic Dances, and Benjamin Britten’s operas The Rape of Lucretia and A Midsummer Night’s Dream, beside many other works by Brazilian composers. Five of these were unpublished works by Ricardo Tacuchian, Ronaldo Miranda, Edino Krieger, Almeida Prado and David Korenchendler, which were recorded on a CD to honor Pope John Paul II. In São Paulo, Tibiriçá produced the first public performance of Petite Messe Solennelle, by Rossini. Since his days with OSB, Tibiriçá has given special attention to works by Brazilian composers, and such attention was intensified after he became Music Director of the Petrobras Pro Musica Orchestra (OPPM), when several concerts featuring only works by Brazilian contemporary composers were programmed. The orchestra has recently recorded two long forgotten masterpieces, the Piano Concerto with Brazilian Patterns, by Heckel Tavares, played by pianist Arnaldo Cohen, and “Choros” no 6, by Villa-Lobos. This record is already being considered the best new record of the year. As Music Director of the OPPM, Tibiriçá created the concert series “Brazilian Artists”, which is being a success with the Rio de Janeiro public. He also launched 3 competitions for young musicians: the “Armando Prazeres” for Young Soloists, the “Eleazar de Carvalho” for Young Conductors and the “Claudio Santoro” for Young Composers. All three have been praised for their stimulating the interest of young people in the several aspects of musical activity.  

In the four years (2000-2003) that Tibiriçá has been Music Director of OPPM, he raised to new heights the performance standard of that ensemble. As a consequence, OPPM was awarded the “Carlos Gomes” Prize for the best Brazilian orchestra in 2001 and again in 2002.  

Tibiriçá has participated in several editions of the Aquarius Project, an initiative by the Globo TV Network to propagate the taste for music among the Rio de Janeiro general public.  

Many concerts took place at Botafogo beach, playing classical works such as Mahler’s 2nd symphony, in 1996, for an estimated public of 150 thousand. In 1997, Pope John Paul II visited Brazil and celebrated an open-air mass at the Flamengo Park, in Rio, which featured the orchestra conducted by Tibiriçá, with an attendance of around 2 million people. 

In November 2001, at the suggestion of Nelson Freire, Roberto Tibiriçá was invited by Martha Argerich to conduct the opening concert for the MARTHA ARGERICH FESTIVAL, making his debut at the Teatro Colón, in Buenos Aires with the great pianist playing the Ravel’s Piano Concerto in G. Come back to the same Festival in October 2004 to conduct Nelson Freire in Villa-Lobos with the Buenos Aires Philharmonic Orchestra at the Teatro Colón completely soud out! For several years is invited to the Festival Villa-Lobos, Venezuela, conducting concerts with the Orchestra Simon Bolivar. 

Along his career, Tibiriçá has had the opportunity to work together with many international artists, from Brazil or from abroad, such as Martha Argerich, Nelson Freire, Arnaldo Cohen, Barry Douglas, Lílian Zilberstein, Valentina Lisitsa, Sergio Tiempo, Joshua Bell, Shlomo Mintz, Stefan Jackiw, Erik Schumann, Gautier Capuçon, Frederieke Saeijs, David Aaron Carpenter, Gabriela Montero, HJ Lim, Antonio Meneses, Mikhail Rudy, Alexander Toradze, Jean Louis Steuerman, Boris Belkin, Dmitry Sitkovetsky Geza Hosszu-Legocky, Pavel Sporcl, Eugene Fodor, Giuseppe Gibboni, Wolfgang Meyer, Romain Guyot, Ole Edvard Antonsen, Cristina Ortiz, Bernard Greenhouse, Pascal Roge, Nelson Goerner, Jean-Philippe Collard, Yevgeny Sudbin, Dmitry Shishkin, Bruce Liu, Jon Nakamatsu, Evgeni Mikhailov, Frank Braley, Daniel Casares and Bella Davidovitch. He also worked with several renowned artists of the MPB (Popular Brazilian Music) among which Wagner Tiso, Rita Lee, Gilberto Gil, Simone, Daniela Mercury, Zizi Possi, Frejat, Francis Hime, Sivuca, Nana Caymmi, João Bosco and Ivan Lins. 

Acknowledging the work of Roberto Tibiriçá, since his arrival in 1994, in furthering the musical culture in the State of Rio de Janeiro, on November 28, 2002 the State House of Representatives granted him the title of Honorary Citizen of the State of Rio DE JANEIRO. On March 26, 2003, he was elected to the Brazilian Academy of Music (www.abmusica.org.br), occupying Chair no 5, whose patron is the Brazilian composer Father José Maurício Nunes Garcia and on May 11, 2018 he assumed the position of Honorary Member of the National Academy of Music of Rio de Janeiro. 

In 2005 to 2011 it was appointed the Artistic Director of the Heliópolis Symphony, by Baccarelli Institute, whose patron is Maestro Zubin Mehta. It was Music Director of the Symphonic Municipal Orchestra of Campinas (SP), Philharmonic Orchestra of Sao Bernardo do Campo (SP) and Principal Conductor of OSSODRE, Montevideo/Uruguay. In 2010 and 2011 he received this awards: XIII and XVI Carlos Gomes Award as the Best Conductor for his work with Symphony Heliopolis (from Baccarelli Institute) and Minas Gerais Simphonic Orchestra. Received also in 2011 the Order of Ipiranga (highest honor the state of Sao Paulo), the Great Medal President Juscelino Kubitschek (offered by the Government of Minas Gerais) and the APCA (Critics Association of São Paulo) as the Best Conductor (for his work with Symphony Heliopolis and Minas Gerais Symphony Orchestra). 

He was Music Director of the Minas Gerais Symphony Orchestra from 2010 until 2013. 

In 2020, in the middle of the Corona virus pandemic, he performed with OSESP – São Paulo State Symphony Orchestra – the World Premiere of the opera in 1 act “Cartas Portuguesas”, by Brazilian composer João Guilherme Ripper and recorded for the NAXUS label the Choros for Clarinet, Piano, Viola, Cello and the piece Flor de Tremembé, by Camargo Guarnieri. 

In 2022, he was appointed Principal Conductor and Musical Director of the Paraná Symphony Orchestra, Brazil. 

www.robertotibirica.com.br

 

“I’ve had the opportunity to play with Maestro Roberto Tibiriçá and I loved to make some music with him. I felt very supported. The orchestra enjoyed the occasion. He created a nice environment thanks to his talent and brotherhood.
I hope I can repeat this great experience.” 

Brussels, March 15, 2004 
MARTHA ARGERICH 

 

“Roberto Tibiriçá is in my opinion the great Brazilian conductor of his generation. Sensible, intelligent and extremely musical, it is always a pleasure playing with him. Sincerely, I would like to see him more frequently together with our orchestras.
The public deserves! And he too!” 

Paris, April 18, 2004 
NELSON FREIRE 

 

“I consider Maestro Roberto Tibiriçá as one of the most competent and talented Brazilian conductors. His deep knowledge of the repertory and his great musical sensibility becomes him the ideal conductor for any soloist.  
An orchestra that has him as your principal conductor will be investing in musical quality and, besides, contributing for the cultural development of his community. 
Roberto is also a good friend, to who I desire a future with large success.” 

London, April 13, 2004 
ARNALDO COHEN

 

“Maestro Roberto Tibiriçá is one of those rare conductors who is not only a great director, but also a wonderful musician and great human being. I have always enjoyed playing with Roberto, as he is an extraordinary collaborator for soloists also. We have performed a lot of repertoire together and it has always been totally satisfying on every level. Bravissimo Roberto!” 

Paris, 3 May, 2004 
BARRY DOUGLAS 

 

“Roberto Tibiriçá is a wonderful conductor, with whom I have had the pleasure and the chance of working very often, everywhere in Latin America. I first met him fifteen years ago, so I can tell he is a musician of high quality and refinement. We have done the whole repertoire together and I could feel his deep comprehension of Music. In my opinion, he is one of the most talented conductors of his generation.” 

Liège, 2 May, 2004 
BORIS BELKIN