- Biography and Reviews-
Geísa Dutra is internationally acclaimed as a recitalist and concerto soloist, having performed in England, Belgium, Germany, Canada, the United States, and her native Brazil. Her recordings include Brazilian and Spanish Piano Works; Chopin, Preludes; El Ultimo Tango, Six Tangos by Astor Piazzolla and The Spanish Piano, her latest release. She has also recorded for National Public Radio in the United States and for national radio and television stations in Brazil.
Ms. Dutra’s rare meld of technical mastery and expressive beauty communicates an enormous range of emotion and sound that has been praised by the press. In its review of her CD of Piazzola’s tangos, Clavier magazine stated, “She has succeeded admirably. Spiky angular passages abruptly give away to something solemn or gorgeous. Another will be sassy and suddenly turn tenderly melodic...other moments ominous or occasionally serene.” Her debut in Belgium was described as “A brilliant evening” (Wolluwe News, Brussels), and England’s Nottingham Evening Post reported, “It was a privilege and a treat to hear pianist Geísa Dutra… a gorgeous range of expression.”
Born in Rio de Janeiro, she began her musical education with her mother Isabel Dutra and graduated with a Bachelor of Music from the Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, where she was a student of Heitor and Janete Alimonda. As a young artist, Ms. Dutra won numerous first prizes in national piano competitions in Brazil, including Best Performer of Brazilian Music from the Maria Luisa Priolli National Piano Competition, which she won at age 14. In the following year, she made her solo debut with the Orquestra Sinfonica da Universidade do Rio de Janeiro, earning the review from O Bacharel “A revelation… a young lady who could be the best Brazilian pianist of the 80’s.” The Jornal do Comércio of Rio de Janeiro described her as “... one of the greatest talents of the new generation.” She continued her studies in Canada and the U.S. and received her Master of Music in Piano Performance at the University of Washington, where she was a student of Bèla Siki.
She later continued lessons in Seattle with Patricia Michaelian.
She has kept a versatile and ever-growing career as concert pianist, master teacher, lecturer, recording artist, producer and ambassador for Brazilian music and culture - “Dutra’s splendid performance completely captured the spirit of Villa-Lobo’s music” (Journal American, Washington). From 1999 to 2001 she was a performer for the Kennedy Center Performing Arts Calendar sponsored by the U.S. Department of State, and in 1995 represented Brazil at the 50th Anniversary Celebration of the United Nations in San Francisco. Since 1995 she has been sponsored by the 4CULTURE Arts Commission in Washington for the Touring Arts Roster for the Northwest. As soloist, she has performed with the Broadway Symphony, University of Washington Symphony, Cascade Symphony, Brazil’s Orquestra Sinfonica Nacional, Orquestra Sinfonica da Universidade do Rio de Janeiro, Philharmonia Northwest, Northwest Symphony Orchestra, and Vancouver Symphony.
-Reviews-
“ Geísa Dutra’s playing reveals her familiarity with and abiding affection for these pieces. She avoids cluttering the sound with excessive pedal use, and hence she preserves the clarity and delicacy one would expect from a guitarist. When called upon, her interpretation swells with appropriate surges of passion, but she never sacrifices tempo and subtle nuance...beautiful music, sensitively played. Dutra’s program is well thought out, flows nicely and never loses a sense of cohesion and logic.”
— High Performance Review Magazine
\"Artistic, mathematic, feminine, and charismatic... One of the greatest talents of the new generation. Geísa Dutra is one of those people whose natural star seems indeed to be succcess...”
— Jornal do Comércio - Rio de Janeiro
“ Geísa seems very much at home with these works... a natural affinity that appears natural in pieces that certainly speak more to her than the score reveals. Spontaneous interpretations, committed to the translation of idioms that although similar in sound, present characteristics with notable differences. And Geísa is able to find and reveal them in an absolute natural way. Performances full of charm and commitment, in a musical panel of variety and good taste.” ★★★★★
— Classic CD Magazine
\"Geísa Dutra made of the Scenes of Childhood (by Mompou) an audible delight of refined value.”
— O Globo - Rio de Janeiro
“A magnetic, musical pianist...”
— Seattle P.I. - Washington
“Dutra reached the total depth of the music, transmitting, thanks to her outstanding technique, a lively and sensitive image of the composition... She documented in an impressive way her creative power and great technical
security.”
— Braunschweiger Zeitung - Germany
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