American and European classical music with a special touch from Brazil. Performing for the first time in the country, Canadian conductor Ellie Neufeld makes her debut before the Bauru Municipal Symphony Orchestra this Wednesday (15), at 8 p.m., at the Sagrado Coração de Jesus University Parish. The concert, new to the city, will feature a rich, new and joyful repertoire that promises to delight everyone in attendance. Admission is free and those interested can contribute by donating a liter of milk.

A master of orchestral conducting, Neufeld began her career as a teacher at Onoway Jr./Sr. High School, Canada, taking the institution’s band to major festivals and promoting workshops with renowned names in conducting and composition.

Now, alongside titular conductor Devanildo Balmant, she is preparing a special concert that will open the 2022 season of the “Cultura do Coração” project, promoted by the Parish University of Bauru.

“It was wonderful. Everyone is very welcoming and Devanildo is the best host. The band is very well prepared, so I just put my personal finishing touch on everything”, says the conductor.

PREPARATION

This is the first time Neufeld will present a repertoire including Brazilian pieces, which she says has been a wonderful experience. “It’s all new to me. I’ve heard Brazilian music before, but the style is very different from American music. I thought it would be cool to put the two styles together. It’s a good mix,” he said.

According to Devanildo, the students of the Municipal Symphonic Band are also eager to present the pieces chosen by the conductor, which includes composers such as Josef Hellmesberger Jr., Ralph Vaughan Williams, Eric Whitacre, Pierre Leemans, Percy Grainger and Manoel Ferreira. .

“I think the music will be very different from what people usually hear. These are very traditional songs for us, but it will be a first experience for the band. It’s really fun to be a part of. It’s something very special. I also think the audience must love it a lot,” says Neufeld.

In the Parish, the expectation is also very high – both for this concert and for the next events of the season, which still has great surprises in store for the population. “The parish priest has made the whole structure available so that we can do the best for the conductor, for the orchestra and for the community. We are happy to be back. It is also very rewarding to have the partnership of the Town Hall, through the Secretary of Culture, throughout these years. This relationship of communion of culture is very important, because music also elevates our spirituality”, adds Deacon José Rafael Mazzoni.

Open to the entire population of the city and the region, the presentation begins at 8:00 p.m. The donation of a liter of milk, which will be used for social projects in the parish, is optional. The concert has the support of Bauru City Hall, Bauru Department of Culture, 96 FM, Jornal da Cidade and Bel Fiori Arranjos Permanentes.

“It’s going to be amazing. Devanildo prepared them [a banda] very good. He did all the work,” he jokes. “It’s a real privilege to come here and make music with them. I’m ready to make music and have fun.”

SERVICE

The University Parish of the Sacred Heart of Jesus is located at Rua Benedito Moreira Pinto, 7-2, in Jardim Panorama.