Lourdino Barreto

Lourdino Barreto - dubbed "the best musicologist East of Suez” [http://www.goa-world.com/goa/music/lourdino.htm] at a World Congress for choir conductors held in Rome - was born on February 11, 1938, in an obscure village in South Goa called Galgibaga. He studied at the Pontifical Institute for Sacred Music and the National Conservatoire in Rome and graduated with distinction in Gregorian chant, composition and piano. He later earned a doctorate for his thesis titled: 'Aesthetic Indian Music as a bridge between Christian and Indian Religious Music'.

He authored more than 100 compositions, some based on Indian 'Ragas', which performed by various orchestras and musical ensembles in major ciapitals of the world. In addition to some of his performances which were beamed worldwide via satellite, he gave live piano, violin and organ recitals in Italy, Switzerland, Austria, England and the United States of America.

In February 1977, Maestro António Fortunato de Figueiredo handed over the directorship of Western Music wing of Goa Kala Academy and the conductorship of Goa Symphony Orchestra to Lourdino Barreto. During his tenure as Director of Western Music for Goa Kala Academy, Barreto formed the Goa Philharmonic Choir. His choir interpreted western, Indian and Goan choral music, as well as staged a few operettas, Broadway musicals and a full-length opera, Verdi's Il Trovatore. At his visionary urging, music was for the very first time introduced as a subject at the Higher Secondary Education in Goa.

He died on January 24, 1997, a few months before he would have represented India at the Franz Schubert International Festival organized by Austria to commemorate Schubert’s second birth centenary.

In 2002, Barreto was posthumously conferred the Vincent Xavier Verodiano Award “in recognition of his creative interpretation of Western and classical Indian music, his integration of the two musical lineages in contemporary score, and for his mastery over such integrative interpretation”.

Today, Galgibaga is synonymous with Lourdino Barreto’s stellar name and fame.

Major Musical Compositions

[http://www.goa-world.com/goa/konkani/hyms-sfx.htm Sam Fransisku Xaviera]
Dogi Tegi Beatini

Raghupathi Raghava Rajaram

Major Stage Performances

Mikado
Wizard of Oz
Oliver Twist
Fiddler on the Roof
Sound of Music
My Fair Lady
Orpheus in the Underworld.

External links

* [http://www.goa-world.com/goa/music/lourdino.htm Fr. Lourdino Barreto -- Priest turned Musician]
* [http://www.dommartin.cc/Literature/LourdinoBarretto.html Fr. Lourdino Barreto]