Master Class with Ricardo Castro (I/II)

Ricardo Castro gives a master class on Rachmaninov’s Piano Concerto No. 2.

Rachmaninov composed his Piano Concerto No. 2 in C Minor between 1900 and 1901. The second and third movements were first performed with the composer as soloist on December 2, 1900, followed by a complete premiere of the work on November 9, 1901—with the composer once more at the piano and his cousin Alexander Siloti conducting. This piece is one of Rachmaninov's most enduringly popular works, and played an important role in establishing his fame.

Accomplished pianist and conductor Ricardo Castro studied with Maria Tipo at the Conservatory of Music in Geneva. He currently teaches at the Fribourg Conservatory, “HEMU - Haute Ecole de Musique Vaud-Valais-Fribourg” in Switzerland. His career began with a 1987 ex-aequo win at the International Competition of the ARD in Munich. Castro is the founder of NEOJIBA (State Centers of Youth and Children's Orchestras of Bahia), a pioneering program in Brazil inspired by Venezuela's El Sistema. He was invited by the government of the State of Bahia to create The Youth Orchestra of Bahia (YOBA), of which he is principal conductor and artistic director. The YOBA Orchestra gives around 30 concerts in the USA and Europe annually. In 2013 he was the first Brazilian to receive Honorary Membership of the Royal Philharmonic Society London.