Lourdino Barreto

Lourdino Barreto (born 11 February 1938, in Galgibaga in South Goa) was dubbed "the best musicologist East of Suez" at a World Congress for choir conductors held in Rome.[1]

Lourdino Barreto

Education

He studied at the Pontifical Institute of Sacred Music and the National Conservatory in Rome and graduated with distinction in Gregorian chant, composition and piano. He later earned a doctorate for his thesis titled: 'Aesthetic Indian Music as a bridge between Christian and Indian Religious Music'.

Career

Back in Goa, he taught music at the Seminary of Saligao-Pilerne and at the Rachol Seminary of the Archdiocese of Goa and Daman, where he trained future priests in the divine chants. He conducted the Santa Cecilia Choir of Rachol Seminary, and raised the level of music in the Seminary to a high standard.

He authored more than 100 compositions, some based on Indian 'Ragas', which were performed by various orchestras and musical ensembles in major capitals of the world. In addition to some of his performances which were beamed worldwide via satellite, he gave live piano, violin and organ recitals in Italy, Switzerland, Austria, England, and the United States of America.

In February 1977, Maestro António Fortunato de Figueiredo handed over the directorship of Western Music wing of Goa Kala Academy and the conductorship of Goa Symphony Orchestra to Lourdino Barreto. During his tenure as Director of Western Music for Goa Kala Academy, Barreto formed the Goa Philharmonic Choir. His choir interpreted western, Indian and Goan choral music, as well as staged a few operettas, Broadway musicals and a full-length opera, Verdi's Il Trovatore. At his urging, music was for the very first time introduced as a subject at the Higher Secondary Education in Goa.

He died on 24 January 1997, a few months before he would have represented India at the Franz Schubert International Festival organized by Austria to commemorate Schubert's second birth centenary.

Major musical compositions

Major stage performances
  • Fiddler on the Roof
  • Mikado
  • My Fair Lady
  • Oliver Twist
  • Orpheus in the Underworld
  • Wizard of Oz
  • Sound of Music

References
  1. Archived 7 January 2005 at the Wayback Machine
  2. Archived 11 January 2006 at the Wayback Machine

Further reading
  • J. Clement Vaz (1997). Profiles of Eminent Goans Past and Present. Concept Pub. Co. pp. 88–89. ISBN 81-7022-619-8.


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