Four Brazilian women composers, one youth orchestra, free admission: the Harmonia Season launches March 31 at UERJ with the concert Terra Brasilis.
Brazil written by women
The Orquestra Sinfônica Brasileira Jovem (Brazilian Youth Symphony Orchestra) opens its 2026 Harmonia Season with a program placing four female composers at the center of Brazil’s musical narrative. The concert Terra Brasilis takes place on March 31 at 7 PM at the Teatro Odylo Costa, filho, at UERJ (Rio de Janeiro State University), with free admission.
Under the baton of Anderson Alves, the orchestra’s principal conductor and pedagogical coordinator, the program brings together works by Clarice Assad, Juliana Ripke, Cibelle Donza, and Chiquinha Gonzaga — four composers who each found a singular voice for writing Brazil in sound.
The opening program
The evening opens with the Fantasia Terra Brasilis by Clarice Assad. Conceived almost like a musical short film, the piece takes the Brazilian national anthem as its thread, fragmenting and scattering it among the sonic references of the many cultures that have shaped the country.
Next, Eu-Mulher (I-Woman) by Juliana Ripke brings the poetry of acclaimed writer Conceição Evaristo into the orchestral space. Originally composed for choir, the work was orchestrated by conductor Paulo Galvão Filho. Its central refrain returns cyclically, each time with denser textures and growing dynamics. Evaristo herself attended the OSB Jovem’s last performance of the piece and recognized the depth of her own text in the music. Ripke is currently working on an opera based on the writer’s life.
At OSB Jovem we seek to transform talent into opportunity. By combining qualified musical training with socioeconomic criteria in the selection process, we reaffirm our commitment to inclusion, civic education, and the professional development of young musicians. More than preparing instrumentalists for the market, OSB Jovem contributes to the human, cultural, and social development of its members. — Ana Flávia Cabral Souza Leite, CEO and Vice President of the Fundação Orquestra Sinfônica Brasileira
The Suíte Curumim by Cibelle Donza was commissioned by the Projeto Guri Orchestra, an ensemble of young musicians — and that origin shapes both its technical choices and its playful themes. Three movements — Elástico, Quatro Cantos, and Morto-Vivo — recreate three traditional Brazilian children’s games with remarkable creativity.
The concert closes with a suite drawn from five works by Chiquinha Gonzaga, arranged for symphony orchestra by Anderson Alves. Blending celebrated pieces with lesser-known gems from the Rio-born composer’s catalog, it works as an affectionate musical anthology: Saci Pererê, Roda Ioiô, Lua Branca, Em Guarda, and Ô Abre Alas.
The 2026 Harmonia Season
The Harmonia Season proposes a dialogue between music and literature as a way to bridge cultures, eras, and territories. The season spans ten concerts across four Rio de Janeiro venues: Teatro Odylo Costa filho, Sala Cecília Meireles, Cidade das Artes, and Teatro Carlos Gomes.
The repertoire moves between Bach, Schubert, Haydn, and Mozart while also championing Brazilian voices: Henrique Alves de Mesquita, Waldemar Henrique, Alberto Nepomuceno, Carlos dos Santos, Radamés Gnattali — celebrated in his 130th birth anniversary — and Edmundo Villani-Côrtes. Guest artists include flutist Alexis Angulo and timpanist Fernanda Kremer, both from the Orquestra Sinfônica Brasileira, and conductor Daniel Guedes.
The season’s closing program, Legado em Harmonia (Legacy in Harmony), will reunite OSB Jovem alumni now playing in professional orchestras — a testament to the project’s lasting formative impact.
About OSB Jovem
Made up of musicians between 18 and 30 years old, the OSB Jovem selects its members through rigorous auditions that also factor in socioeconomic criteria. The 2026 edition features a new cohort approved in auditions held in late 2025.
Beyond the artistic season, the project offers career mentoring with experienced musicians, score editing workshops, music appreciation activities, and cultural management training. Shell Brasil, with 112 years of history in the country, is the sustaining sponsor of OSB Jovem.
Event Info
2026 Season Opening | Terra Brasilis — Women Composers Writing Our History
Date: March 31, 2026 (Tuesday) at 7 PM
Venue: Teatro Odylo Costa, filho — Rua São Francisco Xavier, 524, Maracanã, Rio de Janeiro
Free admission
Full program:
Clarice Assad — Terra Brasilis, Fantasia on the Brazilian National Anthem (7′)
Juliana Ripke — Eu-Mulher (9′)
Cibelle Donza — Suíte Curumim (15′): I – Elástico / II – Quatro Cantos / III – Morto-Vivo
— Intermission —
Chiquinha Gonzaga (arr. Anderson Alves) — Suíte Chiquinha Gonzaga: I – Saci Pererê / II – Roda Ioiô / III – Lua Branca / IV – Em Guarda / V – Ô Abre Alas
Photo: Press release
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