Founded in 1949, the Campinas Musical Conservatory first appeared as a department affiliated to the Brazilian Music Conservatory of Rio de Janeiro and was, during all of its existence, under the direction of the pianist and teacher Olga Rizzardo Normanha. The specialized course in piano, the ensemble “Young Violinists of Campinas”, the “Vitória Régia Ballet” (first official ballet course in Campinas) and the “Enchanted Garden of Arts” (children’s art school), formed the set of activities and courses that were offered for a long time by the Conservatory. The “Young Violinists” gave origin to orchestras such as the Symphonic João de Tullio and, afterwards, to the still ongoing Symphonic of Campinas. It’s precisely a part of this important history that this exposition seeks to approach, focusing on their collection guarded by the Memory Center-Unicamp.
Olga Normanha started her music studies at a very young age; among her teachers were the likes of Francisco Mignone, Mario Andrade, Guilherme Mignone (at the Dramatic Musical Conservatory of São Paulo), João Sepe, João Gomes Araújo, Samuel Arcanjo dos Santos and Carlos Alberto Gomes Cardim. She married the engineer Edgard Sant’Ana Normanha with whom she had two daughters, Elizabeth and Regina, also graduated from the conservatory. She travelled several times abroad in order to promote cultural exchanges and get input on how to run her conservatory from its foreign counterparts.Through this rich work, Olga Normanha and her fellow teachers of the conservatory formed prominent musicians, such as Sonia Rubinsky, Jane Rosa Faria and Silvia Castro, among others.
Francisco Mignone playing the piano when visiting the Campinas Music Conservatory (1956) by UnknownCentro de Memória-Unicamp
Presentation of the Children Rhythmic Orchestra at the Campinas Municipal Theater (1950) by Moraes PhotoCentro de Memória-Unicamp
First Carlos Gomes week (1963) by UnknownCentro de Memória-Unicamp
Campinas Music Conservatory's guitar ensemble (1962) by Balan ReporterCentro de Memória-Unicamp
Campinas Music Conservatory's wall of graduates (1961) (1961) by Eduardo PhotoCentro de Memória-Unicamp
Piano duo Helenice and José Antônio Rezende de Almeida Prado (1978-10-19) by UnknownCentro de Memória-Unicamp
Campinas Music Conservatory's hommage to the composer and conductor Carlos Gomes (1960) by UnknownCentro de Memória-Unicamp
Campinas Music Conservatory's students during a theoric music class (1966) by Balan ReporterCentro de Memória-Unicamp
Ballet Vitória Régia's children ensemble (1970) by UnknownCentro de Memória-Unicamp
The ballet dancer Mozart Xavier, teacher at the Ballet Vitória Régia (1956-10-01) by Carlos SertoriCentro de Memória-Unicamp
Ballet Vitória Régia's presentation at the José de Castro Mendes municipal theater (1983) by UnknownCentro de Memória-Unicamp
Aldo Cardarelli during an open air class of the Campinas Music Conservatory's free painting and drawing course (1978) by UnknownCentro de Memória-Unicamp
Aldo Cardarelli during a class of the Campinas Music Conservatory's free painting and drawing course (1978) by UnknownCentro de Memória-Unicamp
Starting from 1957, the Campinas Musical Conservatory moved its headquarters to the Pontifical Catholic University of Campinas and, later, had to close its doors due to financial strains. The fight of parents and students to prevent this gave the Conservatory its last breath to carry on with its activities until 1997, when they ceased definitely.
Coordination:
Marli Marcondes
Curatorial project:
Aline Assencio
Fernanda Moreira
Gabriela Toledo
Mariana Cavanha
Marli Marcondes
Text:
Mariana Cavanha
Cássia Denise Gonçalves
Fernanda Moreira
Gabriela Toledo
Images processing:
Antônio Augusto Ferreira
Support:
Renata Seixas Barbosa Maia
Execution:
Centro de Memória-UNICAMP
Translation:
Lude Gomes Cardoso Nunes
2013