Eduardo Monteiro, Brazilian pianist

by Dermot Scott

On a recent visit to the UK to perform at the Wigmore Hall and in Manchester, the Brazilian pianist Eduardo Monteiro reflects on the development of classical music in Brazil, from its roots in Portuguese church music through a nationalist phase to its present cosmopolitanism, on its acceptability to a British audience, and on the role of the performer and teacher.

Art music in Brazil obviously had European, particularly Portuguese, roots. How did it develop thereafter?

Of course, Brazilian classical music had its roots in the western tradition, as is the case everywhere else. But in the 1920s there was a movement in Brazil, similar to those all over the world, to develop its own artistic idiom. This is no longer possible: we are now much more influenced by our environment, by our friends and teachers than by nationalist idioms. With the arrival of the Internet and globalisation there is no longer room for a nationalist approach.

You are a Brazilian pianist playing a largely Brazilian programme at the Wigmore Hall. How do you believe that a British audience will react?

There are really only two possibilities: either they are receptive, and are stimulated by a new repertoire; or if they are expecting to hear what they already know, it may prove more difficult.

Just as someone who likes rock music and listens to Beethoven; if they are open minded indeed they may like it. Everybody listens differently, there is no single answer.

I feel that it is the same with contemporary music: it is important to introduce it in one's programme, even if it is unknown to the audience. Usually the audience will recognise good music. And of course, if Brazilian music is to be introduced, it is best done by a Brazilian.

You are an academic, and teacher as well as a performer. How do you reconcile these three careers?

It's very difficult, particularly the question of lack of time. I really have to work three shifts, especially if you want to do all three jobs well. I take teaching very seriously and it requires a lot of energy. The way I teach my students will determine their futures, with consequences that will last throughout their lives. It is a really big responsibility.

The student-teacher relationship is very different in Brazil from in Europe. The students treat you as one of the family. They call me on the telephone all the time, and I spend a lot of time with them especially when they are preparing for a competition.

For the academic side, university work follows the same pattern as in any other department. But it is hard to treat the teaching of an instrument in the same way as other subjects. How can teaching to play the piano be put in academic form? Basically the student has to practice, while making a series of complex decisions, based on his or her knowledge of the composer's style, sometimes even the time of life when he composed the piece, and the comprehension of the text, and it is the result of deep reflection. All this knowledge should be there when you perform.

Performing also demands a lot of time for practising and, while teaching does not involve stress, performing does. Added to which, of course, there are great distances to travel, even within Brazil, let alone travelling to Europe and the USA.

You are now artistic director of a recital series called Piano Solo in Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo, involving big stars like Nelson Freire and Christina Ortiz, while introducing young pianists. How does that work and how has it been received by the audience and by critics?

Every soloist has his or her recital opened by a short performance by a young and talented pianist, and it has been received really very well. There has been a lot of enthusiasm. For the audience it is very refreshing. Of course they know what to expect from a world-renowned pianist like Nelson Freire, but they do not know if the young pianist performing the first piece is another Freire in the making. It introduces an element of surprise, which is good for the audience.

For the young soloist it is a great opportunity, for they get the chance to play in a big concert hall to a large audience, something that otherwise they could not expect at this stage. To open a concert for Nelson Freire is a big moment.

In principle it is like a rock concert, where the well-known band is preceded by a new band; in time the new band becomes established and will introduce further bands in turn.

As a teacher I am doing my duty. You do not just teach the students, you must introduce them to the life of a performer.

The critics have been very enthusiastic, they think it is a great idea The four young pianists this year were all my pupils, but next year, when I have more time, we shall introduce students of other teachers, and indeed students from abroad. It is vital for Brazilian students to listen to their peers from other countries. This is very stimulating, and encourages them to work even harder!

5 On this visit to the UK, you have returned to the Wigmore Hall, and are also performing at Chetham's School, in Manchester and adjudicating in a competition for young pianists. You obviously have a deep interest in musical education and have wide personal experience in Brazil, France, Italy and the USA. What are the big issues in preparing a student for a musical career?

It is a hard career, one in which you need musical talent and the physical talent to play your instrument.

But you also require a talent for making a career. You have to be good at that, just as in every other field, but in music you have to do it alone. You are a freelancer in an unstable world.

On the other hand, if you are good enough, there is always room. You have to find your space. As I say to my pupils "Not everyone plays Carnegie Hall…:"

Eduardo Monteiro is a Brazilian concert pianist. He studied in Rio de Janeiro and subsequently in Paris, the International Piano Foundation in Como, and at the New England Conservatory in Boston. He holds a doctorate from the Sorbonne and has been a prize-winner in several European piano competitions. He combines a career as soloist with the post of Doctor Professor of Piano at the University of Sao Paulo. His CD of Brazilian piano music has just been released by Meridian.

November 2007