Brazil chief quits
NewsArthur Nestrovski stepped down today after 13 years as artistic director of the São Paulo Symphony Orchestra (Osesp). During that time he gave Brazil a world showcase at the BBC Proms, the Lucerne Festival and, latterly, at Carnegie Hall.
He says: ’15 days ago, Osesp and the Osesp Choir, conducted by Marin Alsop, performed at Carnegie Hall, in New York. Loaded with meanings – artistic, institutional, even ecological (in the Floresta Villa-Lobos program) –, it can be said, without exaggeration, that these were two historic concerts. In their own way, they closed a virtuous cycle started with Marin a decade ago, which took us, for the first time, to the BBC Proms festival in London, the Berlin Philharmonie, the Lucerne Festival and many other major concert halls around the world. around the world, from Brazil to China. In their own way, they also marked the end of another cycle, personal, as Artistic Director of Fundação Osesp.’
A very good orchestra that represents the largest city in South America, with well over 12 million people. They play in a refurbished train station.
I hope that they will make an european tour next year after the records of Villa-Lobos orchestral works I like so much. Brazil is a country very intersiting for classical today. Recently I have seen also in concert the Neojiba orchestra of Ricardo Castro. One of the best concerts I have seen during the last years.
Indeed. Although to say Sala São Paulo is a refurbished train station although true, is slightly of a understatement. Sala São Paulo is one of the top concert halls in the world.
The new Artistic Director of São Paulo Symphony Orchestra – Osesp – will be Thierry Fischer who is already Conductor of this orchestra since 2020
He will be missed. I’m a regular concertgoer at Sala São Paulo and I think Nestrovski has done a good job.
He is unstuffy and has an open mind. He likes to relate concert music to literature and other arts and has always built bridges to the wonderfully rich world of Brazilian popular music (he is a good guitar player himself).
Osesp also does a good amount of new, contemporary music by Brazilian and international composers, alongside the standard 19th century repertoire.
It is a lively ensemble, with an younger than average audience than usual for classical orchestras.
Good luck to him, and let’s hope for someone up to the task to take his place at Sala São Paulo.