Nelson Freire
Nelson José Pinto Freire (Portuguese pronunciation: [ˈnɛwsõ ˈfɾejɾ(i)]; 18 October 1944 – 1 November 2021) was a Brazilian classical pianist.
A child prodigy from Minas Gerais, he studied in Rio de Janeiro and Vienna before winning the Vianna da Motta International Music Competition in 1964. His repertory ranged from Bach and Beethoven to Chopin, Schumann, Brahms, Debussy, Liszt and Brazilian music, with the Romantic repertory occupying a central place in his recordings.
Freire performed with major orchestras in Europe, the Americas and Asia, and worked with conductors including Pierre Boulez, Riccardo Chailly, Charles Dutoit, Valery Gergiev, Eugen Jochum, Lorin Maazel, Kurt Masur, Seiji Ozawa and André Previn. He was also closely associated with Martha Argerich, a friend and frequent piano-duo partner.
His recordings were released by labels including CBS/Columbia, Sony, Teldec, Philips, Decca, Deutsche Grammophon and Berlin Classics. They received awards including the Edison Award, the Gramophone Award, the Diapason d'Or, the ECHO Klassik and a Latin Grammy Award, and he received three Grammy Award nominations.
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