Pro Musicis will present Brazilian Guitarist Luiz Mantovani in his New York debut Wednesday, April 2, at 8 p.m. in Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall. This prominently Latin-inspired program will include works by Alberto Ginastera, Napoleon Coste, Federico Moreno-Torroba, a work by Brazilian Composer, Ronaldo Miranda, and a sonata by J. S. Bach.

Winner of the Pro Musicis International Award in 2002, Luiz Mantovani is one of the most brilliant Brazilian musicians of his generation. With an increasingly successful international career, his awards also include the first prize at the Boston Modern Orchestra Concerto Competition and a top prize at the Radio MEC (Ministry of Education and Culture) Music Competition in Rio de Janeiro.

Classical Guitar Magazine wrote: “Mantovani brought everything together in a performance of nearly world-class brilliance. He is capable of scintillating feats and will prove a force to be reckoned with.”

Mr. Mantovani has performed as a soloist and chamber musician in the U.S., Brazil and the UK. He recently performed Heitor Villa-Lobos’ Guitar Concerto to a sold out Jordan Hall, with the Boston Modern Orchestra Project, under Gil Rose. Highlights of past seasons include solo recitals at Jordan Hall in Boston, Sala Cecília Meireles in Rio de Janeiro and Canning House in London, as well as an appearance for WGBH public radio and performances with such ensembles as Boston Musica Viva and Alea III.

With a repertoire spanning five centuries of music, Luiz Mantovani's diverse programs range from his own transcriptions of early music for plucked instruments to works written for him by contemporary composers. Recent commissions and premieres include works by American David Leisner, Israeli Lior Navok and Brazilian Raul do Valle. Mr. Mantovani has made a number of recordings of both solo and chamber music, most notably his debut solo CD, Appassionata, released in 1998.

An active chamber musician, Luiz Mantovani performed with Brazilian flutist Michel de Paula for eight years, covering a significant amount of the repertoire. He recently co-founded the Quadrivium Guitar Quartet, which has quickly acquired a solid reputation in Boston's classical guitar scene and was selected to play in an educational/outreach concert tour in Kentucky in September 2002, sponsored by the New Performing Arts.

Mr. Mantovani is the first and only guitarist to receive the prestigious Artist Diploma from the New England Conservatory of Music in Boston, the conservatory's highest award for artistic excellence. A recipient of a Saint Botolph Foundation grant and a Rabb Presidential Scholarship from the New England Conservatory, he was also awarded an Apartes Scholarship from the Brazilian government.

He holds a Master's degree with honors from the New England Conservatory and a Bachelor's degree from the University of Rio de Janeiro. He has studied guitar with David Leisner, Nicolas Barros and Antônio Guedes, and chamber music with pianist Stephen Drury and harpsichordist John Gibbons.

Program

Pièces Caractéristiques

Torroba Federico Moreno

Sonata BWV 1005

J.S. Bach

Appasionata (1984)

Ronaldo Miranda

Rêverie, op. 53, no. 1

Napoleon Coste

Sonata, op. 47

Alberto Ginastera

Call Pro Musicis at 212-787-0993, or CarnegieCharge at 212-247-7800, or visit Carnegie Hall Box Office or www.carnegiehall.org