Joao Macdowell
- Composer
- Music Department
- Sound Department
Joao MacDowell is a Brazilian composer who is known for fusing contemporary and popular styles with classical music. His work includes opera, symphonic and chamber music as well as early albums of Brazilian pop.
Brazilian musical artist Joao MacDowell, born in Brasilia, started his professional career as leader and vocalist of the Brazilian cult band Tonton Macoute.
In 2000 João Mac Dowell released his first solo album: "Parece Que Existo" (It Seems That I Exist). In the following years João toured as a solo performer.
From 1998 to 2001 Joao was Composer in Residence with Henrique Schuller's contemporary dance company, Tabula Rasa. Joao Mac Dowell wrote the score for "Baldes", performed at the International Contemporary Dance Biannual (2001).
"The Traveling Man and His Music Box" (2002), was the artist's second solo album release. An album that still preserves the popular melodic aspect of his previous works, though it points to the direction that his music would take after that. In it his audience heard for the first time the motif theme of Tamanduá, with an introduction that bridges Brazilian traditional music with contemporary classical orchestration. This album brought MacDowell to tour in the United States, with performances in New York, San Francisco and Philadelphia. In Brasilia and Rio De Janeiro he performed at major venues such as the Teatro Nacional and Teatro Nelson Rodrigues.
"Quarteto" (2004) was Joao Mac Dowell's third solo release, featuring his Brazilian-Jazz band based in Rio De Janeiro.
"Alice In Miami" (2007), an EP release, featuring tracks produced in Philadelphia, with Paul Atkinson and Max Laskavy at Aurum recording studios.
In June and April, 2008, Joao MacDowell conducted premiere concerts of selections from Tamanduá - A Brazilian Opera - in New York city. In the cast Guto Bittencourt - Tenor (Pedro & The Editor), Amy Buckley - Soprano (Carol), Claudio Mascarenhas, Baritone (Aruanan), Abby Powell - Mezzo-Soprano (Julia). Tamanduá is a contemporary Brazilian operatic work that fuses folk rhythms, experimental and classical composition. Scored for symphonic orchestra, choir and a cast of soloists, it draws on the tradition of operatic emotion; a total work of art that embraces dance and multimedia technologies. Tamanduá takes the audience on a psychological journey into the depths of the Brazilian soul. Like Brazil itself, it reflects cultures coming together to create something new. In December 2009, Montclair State University, John J Cali School of Music, New Jersey, presented 16 staged scenes from Tamandua at the Alexander Kasser Theater. The MSU Opera Workshop was directed and conducted by Jeffrey Gall, featuring video design by Cila MacDowell. Clips from the performance have been made available through YouTube.
In September 2011 premiered in NY the feature documentary "Parece Que Existo" (I Seem to Exist), focused on the life and works of composer João MacDowell, directed by Mario Salimon, shot in Portuguese, with English subtitles. In 2012 the documentary received the CLDF awards for Best Film and Best Soundtrack at the 45th Festival DE Brasilia do Cinema Brasileiro.
On December, 17th 2012 MacDowell premiered a concert version of his chamber opera mono-drama "Plastic Flowers" in New York City. Featuring the mezzo-soprano Abby Powell in the lead role of Penelope.On March 18, 2014 João MacDowell's Symphony n.1 titled "Um Sonho Brasileiro" premiered in Brasilia, with the Orquestra Sinfônica do Teatro Nacional Claudio Santoro (OSTNCS) under the baton of Maestro Claudio Cohen. Following the world premiere, the symphony received 4 performances in April 2014, by the Orquestra Sinfônica UniCamp conducted by Cynthia Alirete.