Luiz de Moura Castro Celebrates His 70th Birthday with a Series of Concerts

The Hartt School celebrates one of its legendary faculty members, Luiz de Moura Castro, with a weekend full of festivities, October 7 through October 9. Students, alumni, and faculty perform in honor of the renowned piano professor's 70th birthday and 35th year teaching at The Hartt School. The weekend includes a Wind Ensmble Concert, Liszt Birthday Celebration Concert, and a recital by Luiz de Moura Castro and Friends. For information and tickets for these concerts please call the University Box Office at 860.768.4228 or 800.274.8587 or visit www.hartford.edu/hartt.

The Hartt Wind Ensemble concert kicks off the celebration on Friday, October 7, at 7:30 PM, in Millard Auditorium, University of Hartford, 200 Bloomfield Avenue, West Hartford. As a highlight of this concert, Luiz will share his extraordinary talent with the Hartt Community by playing the George Gershwin masterpiece Rhapsody in Blue. Admission is $20 with discounts available for seniors, students, and groups. Please call the University Box Office at 860.768.4228 or 800.274.8587 or visit www.hartford.edu/hartt for more information.

On Saturday, October 8, at 2:00 PM, the celebration of Luiz de Moura Castro continues with a Luiz de Moura Castro Liszt Birthday Celebration concert in collaboration with the Hartford chapter of the American Liszt Society. This concert will commemorate the 200th anniversary of Liszt's birth, and alumni of Luiz de Moura Castro perform a mostly Liszt two-piano concert in honor of De Moura Castro's 70th birthday and 35 years teaching at The Hartt School, in Millard Auditorium, University of Hartford, 200 Bloomfield Avenue, West Hartford. Admission to the concert is free. Please call the University Box Office at 860.768.4228 or 800.274.8587 or visit www.hartford.edu/hartt for more information.

The Hartt School presents Luiz de Moura Castro and Friends on Saturday, October 8, at 7:30 PM, in Millard Auditorium, University of Hartford, 200 Bloomfield Avenues, West Hartford. This concert is preceded by a special dinner celebration at the University's 1877 Club. Concert admission is $20 with discounts for seniors, students, and groups. Dinner tickets are $35 and are available from the University of Hartford Box Office. Please call the University Box Office at 860.768.4228 or 800.274.8587 or visit www.hartford.edu/hartt for more information.

Luiz de Moura Castro Alumni Concert
In conjunction with the Hartford chapter of the American Liszt Society, former students of Hartt faculty member Luiz de Moura Castro perform a mostly Liszt concert commemorating the 200th anniversary of Liszt's birth on Sunday, October 9, at 2:00 PM, at St. James Church, 2 Mountain Road, Farmington, Connecticut. A suggested donation of $15 for adults, $10 for students, or $25 for families will be collected at the door.

In his 35 years of teaching at The Hartt School, Luiz de Moura Castro has influenced many students around the world, including Arthur Villar of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Villar decided to move to Hartford and attend The Hartt School after meeting de Moura Castro at a master class in Rio de Janeiro. Villar, at the age of 21, decided that he wanted to pursue a career in music and began studying conducting the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. In 2004, when he began studying piano for his conducting degree, Villar instantly realized that his passion was lying there right in front of him, and he promptly decided that he would do everything he could to become a pianist, even if it took him a very long time.

"I met Luiz de Moura Castro in January 2005, started the conducting major one month after our meeting and three years later, came to Hartford to study the piano with him," said Villar, "Luiz encouraged me strongly enough to make me believe that I could become an accomplished musician even after having started so late." In February 2008, Arthur Villar was granted a scholarship to pursue his Bachelor's degree in Piano Performance at The Hartt School and he expects to graduate this spring. It is stories like Villar's that exemplify the passion and commitment de Moura Castro has exhibited throughout his career, which Hartt celebrates this October.

The Hartt School is the comprehensive performing arts conservatory of the University of Hartford that offers innovative degree programs in music, dance, and theatre. Founded in 1920, Hartt has been an integral part of the University of Hartford since its charter merged the then Hartt School of Music, the Hartford Art School, and Hillyer College to create the University in 1957. 2010 markEd Hartt's 90th year of providing world class performing arts education to students in Greater-Hartford and around the world. With more than 400 concerts, recitals, plays, master classes, dance performances, and musical theatre productions a year, performance is central to Hartt's curriculum. For more information about The Hartt School, visit www.hartford.edu/hartt.

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