Brazilian pianist and composer Heloísa Fernandes paints her musical pictures with contrasts – driving rhythm and delicacy, joyous dance and quiet introspection, playfulness and elegance – and in doing so has been compared to the legendary Egberto Gismonti. She loves the challenge of playing solo and for this performance will draw from four albums worth of her own compositions as well as those by major Brazilian composers such as Hermeto Pascoal. As for everyone in the world, the pandemic has had a profound effect on her life and, in particular, her thoughts about the meaning of music. To acknowledge and honor the need for humanity to heal and move forward, she has named this performance Dança do Renascimento (Renaissance Dance).
The performance will be given from her new home in São Luiz do Paraitinga, a city in the eastern part of the state of São Paulo, Brazil. The majesty of the nearby mountains inspires hope for the possibilities of humanity’s future to which her music is in tribute.
