27 Nov Pianist is the new Artistic Director of the Teatro São Bento
The Monastery, in the heart of São Paulo downtown, is one of the landmarks of the city.
The pianist Alvaro Siviero, from November 2007 on, officially takes over the signature of the concert season of Teatro São Bento. With an extensive experience in artistic direction in several national music poles, Siviero has shown great excitement about the opportunity to contribute in promoting high voltage music. “When I always receive the proposal to be responsible of an artistic season of concerts I spend hours – or even days – wondering if I should accept the invitation or not because we all know the immense amount of work and dedication that this activity requires. I do not want to jeopardize my daily hours of practice. However, I would feel not doing what I should do if I said no! When there is passion – and I am in love with music – every effort becomes small”. The pianist is also the artistic coordinator of the weekly concerts that take place inside the Basilica of the Monastery, “place of tremendous musical transcendence”, according to Siviero. The inaugural concert took place on November 28, 2007, with the violinist Winston Ramalho, the violist Renato Bandel and the cellist Fabio Presgrave who, together with the pianist, strolled using the famous BBB – Bach, Beethoven and Brahms – as leit motif during the program. The recital finished with the gipsy Brahms G minor piano quartet, Op.25.
The History of the São Bento Monastery
The Teatro São Bento is jammed inside the São Bento Monastery, in the region considered one of the most ancient in the history of São Paulo city. The Monastery, which was founded in July 14, 1598 and has over 400 years of uninterrupted presence in the region, is now one of the most important Bendictine historic site between the region of the Anhangabaú Valley and Tamanduateí river. By its side was built the old Jesuitical college – the famous Pateo do Collegio – as the foundational origin of the city and which for nearly 200 years hosted the Government Palace. It was in 1910 which was launched the final stage of the construction of the São Bento Monastery Complex. Four years later, in 1914, it was completed the Benedictine site as we know today, housing the Basilica of Our Lady of the Assumption, the Monastery and the College of St. Benedict, historic, cultural and tourist place of the São Paulo city.a