Period

:

Baroque

Genre

:

Chamber

 

Victor Coelho is a renowned classical guitarist, musicologist, and professor of music at Boston University. He was born in Lisbon, Portugal, in 1954, and grew up in a family of musicians. His father was a composer and conductor, and his mother was a pianist. Coelho began playing the guitar at the age of six and quickly showed a natural talent for the instrument. Coelho's early musical education was heavily influenced by his father, who exposed him to a wide range of musical styles and genres. He studied classical guitar with the renowned Portuguese guitarist, Jorge Croner de Vasconcellos, and later with the Spanish guitarist, Narciso Yepes. Coelho also studied music theory and composition with his father and attended the National Conservatory of Lisbon, where he earned a degree in music. In 1976, Coelho moved to the United States to pursue further studies in musicology at the University of California, Berkeley. He earned a Ph.D. in musicology in 1982, with a dissertation on the music of the Portuguese composer, Francisco de Lacerda. During his time at Berkeley, Coelho also studied guitar with the American guitarist, David Tanenbaum. Coelho's career as a performer and musicologist has been marked by numerous highlights and achievements. As a guitarist, he has performed extensively throughout the United States, Europe, and Asia, and has recorded several critically acclaimed albums. He has also collaborated with a wide range of musicians, including the Boston Symphony Orchestra, the Boston Pops Orchestra, and the Kronos Quartet. In addition to his work as a performer, Coelho is also a highly respected musicologist. He has published numerous articles and books on a wide range of topics, including the music of the Renaissance and Baroque periods, the history of the guitar, and the music of Portugal and Brazil. His book, "Music and Science in the Age of Galileo," won the American Musicological Society's Kinkeldey Award in 1995. Coelho's contributions to the field of musicology have been recognized with numerous awards and honors. He has been a fellow of the American Council of Learned Societies, the National Endowment for the Humanities, and the John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation. He has also been awarded the Order of Merit by the President of Portugal, and the Medal of Honor by the City of Lisbon. Throughout his career, Coelho has remained committed to promoting the guitar as a serious instrument in the classical music world. He has worked tirelessly to expand the repertoire for the guitar, commissioning new works from composers such as Elliott Carter, John Harbison, and Gunther Schuller. He has also been a strong advocate for the inclusion of the guitar in academic music programs, and has helped to establish guitar programs at several universities. Coelho's legacy as a performer, musicologist, and educator is a testament to his passion for music and his dedication to excellence. His contributions to the field of music have enriched the lives of countless musicians and music lovers around the world, and his influence will continue to be felt for generations to come.

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