Cello Festival Brings 200 Free Concerts to Rio this Week

By Beatriz Miranda, Contributing Reporter

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – Yesterday, Sunday, August 6th, Rio Cello returned to the city in its 23rd edition. The music festival offers two hundred free concerts across Rio de Janeiro until the end of this week. The repertoire is dedicated to Brazilian composers Tom Jobim, Pixinguinha, Villa-Lobos and Bidu Sayão.

The event also celebrates the eleventh edition of Cello Dance and the sixth year of Cello Tinta (Cello Paint). Thus, it will include painting workshops accompanied by classic music and live concerts with dance performances.

This Monday, August 7th, Orquestra Jovem de Câmara do Equador (Ecuador’s Young Orchestra da Camara) and Conjunto de Violoncelos e Contrabaixos da Ação Social pela Música do Brasil (Social Action for Brazil’s Music’s Group of Cello and Counterbass) perform at BNDES Cultural Space, in Centro, at 7PM.

Directed by maestros Blas Rivera and Diego Carneiro, the two groups, along with instrumentalists David Chew (cello) and Martin Lima (bandoneon), will present a repertoire that includes Vivaldi and even the King Kong’s soundtrack. The show will be accompanied by a dance performance with Cecilia Gonzales and Luciano Bastos.

Tomorrow, August 8th, the collective RICE Cello Ensemble and soprano singer Angelica de la Riva pay homage to Bidu Sayão’s 115 years and Villa-Lobos’ 130 years at BNDES. In addition, the Companhia de Ballet da Cidade de Niterói (Niterói’s Ballet Company) will present a choreography dedicated to Pixinguinha’s 120 years and his “chorinhos”.

“Our purpose is taking the transforming power of music to public spaces. The event was originally born as a cellos’ encounter, but it has grown so much that, nowadays, several other instruments and artistic languages participate in the project. This way, the festival reaches its goal: to include music in people’s everyday life”, says English cellist David Chew, Rio Cello’s founder and Brazil’s resident for 35 years.

On Saturday, August 12th, Cidade das Artes, in Barra, hosts the Cello Mix, with diverse cultural attractions all day. There, visitors can find food stalls, live painting, the exhibition Cello Parade, a photo expose and four concerts, being the last show a tribute to Tom Jobim, at 8PM. The London Music Club Piano Quartet presents a show on Mozart’s and Brahms’ pieces at Eva Klabin’s foundation, in Lagoa, at 6:30 PM.

Closing Rio Cello on Sunday, August 13th, Cidade das Artes promotes a panel discussion on the gambo violl, at 4PM, and five different shows, starting from 12PM. Among the concerts taking place at Cidade das Artes, Cello Rock is one of the big promises, where instrumentalists will play an erudite version of Jimmy Hendrix’s music.

What: Rio Cello
When: August 6th – August 13th – see venue to check time details
Where: click here to check venue details
Entrance: FREE