Arthur Moreira Lima, a point of reference for Brazilian piano, has died at the age of 84

Arthur Moreira Lima, a point of reference for Brazilian piano, has died at the age of 84


Musician originally from Rio, he played with the main orchestras of the world and was nicknamed the ‘Pelé of the piano’; he had been hospitalized for a year

The pianist Arthur Moreira Lima he died at the age of 84, in Florianópolis, where he had lived since 1993. The news was confirmed by the musician’s family through the Instituto Piano Brasileiro. Arthur had been hospitalized for a year and was battling bowel cancer.

“Our thanks to this incomparable giant, for everything he has done for Brazilian and piano culture. May his name always be recognized among Brazilian heroes,” reads the Institute’s publication on social media.

Born in Rio de Janeiro in 1940, Moreira Lima began his piano studies at the age of six and, at 8, began his professional career with the Brazilian Symphony Orchestra. It was the beginning of a trajectory that would make him one of the greatest Brazilian pianists.

His training includes studies with renowned teachers such as Lúcia Branco in Brazil, Marguerite Long in Paris and Rudolf Kehrer in Moscow.

In 1965 Moreira Lima achieved international fame by winning second place at the Chopin Competition in Warsaw. Five years later, he secured third place in the prestigious Tchaikovsky Competition in Russia. Acclaimed for his interpretations of composers such as Chopin and Liszt, the pianist has also dedicated himself to the recovery of the work of Brazilian artists, with particular attention to the legacy of Ernesto Nazareth.

With more than 60 albums recorded, the pianist has played with the Leningrad, Moscow and Warsaw Philharmonic Orchestras and with the Berlin, Vienna and Prague Symphony Orchestras, the BBC in London and the National in France. The magazine Switzerland he once called him the “Pelé of the piano”.

Listen to Arthur Moreira Lima

Source: Terra

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