José Maria Florêncio Júnior
José Maria Florêncio Júnior Brazilian musician, educated as viola player, composer and conductor, Jose Maria Florencio Junior is related with Poland from several years. He began musical education in his native town - FORTALEZA. Then he continued the education at Minas Gerais University in Belo Horizonte. He completed the education under surveillance of prominent educators from his own country and invited from other countries at all leading master courses in his country as well as in the famous JUILLIARD SCHOOL OF MUSIC in New York, in MUSIKHOCHSCHULE in Vienna and in Warsaw Academy of Music from which he graduated with an award. In sum he studied conducting under leadership of 9 professors of seven nationalities. Among them he particularly appreciated David Machado, Eugene Ormandy and Henryk Czyz. At the same time when he mastered and developed his conductor´s skills, he extensively worked as instrumentalist. He was a leader of viola players in Minas Gerais Symphonic Orchestra in Belo Horizonte and in Bahi,a Symphonic Orchestra in Salvador, he gave concerts and recitals as soloist. After his arrival to Poland (1985) he immediately began active conductor`s carrier.
As a guest conductor he led many symphonic and chamber concerts, opera and ballet performances almost in all music centres in Poland and many European countries, in North and South Americas and Asia, winning big applause of the public and high appreciation of critique, who in many countries did not hesitate to determine Florencio Junior as one of the best conductors of his generation. Maestro fulfilled functions of permanent conductor of the Great Theatre in Lodz, he was Musical Director of the State Opera in Wroclaw, General and Artistic Director of the Orchestra and Choir of Polish Radio and Television in Cracow, Conductor of the Great Theatre in Warsaw - the National Opera - and Musical Manager of the S. Moniuszko Great Theatre in Poznan.
He had many artistic tours abroad with these teams and took part in home and foreign musical festivals. Besides many prizes and awards obtained at international musical competitions he was double laureate of the ZLOTA LODKA (Gold Boat) prize for the best theatre spectacles of the year: Emani of Verdi in 1992 and Cavalleria Rusticana ofMascagni in 1993, presented at the scene of the Great Theatre in Lodz. He is a laureate of prize of musical critique of Sao Paulo as the best conductor of the 1992 season, as well as the laureate of a prize of prestige -SEREIA DE OURO 97 (Golden Mermaid) of Brazilian Television GLOBO as a personality of the World of Culture putting the most important contribution into a good image of his native State CEARA in his own country and abroad. His artistic achievements include many world premieres and first records of contemporary works, leading such artistic events like the World Premiere of ELECTRA, the opera of Mikis Theodorakis, leading opening concert of celebration cycle devoted to 50th Holocaust Anniversary in the Polish Radio and Television, with presentation of Holocaust Cantata of Martha Ptasinska, or leading an opening event of the Art Olympiad in Barcelona - the event parallel with the Olympic Games. Florencio Junior also effected many radio, TV and disk records for the contractors of Europe, North America and Asia. Since July 1998 he is charged with the duties of General and Artistic Director of the State Philharmonic Society in Poznan.
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