Aureo Castro
Encyclopedia
Rev. Fr. Aureo Castro Nunes e Castro (1917 - 21 January 1993) better known as Father Aureo Castro was born at Pico, on Calendaria in the Azores
, Portugal. He arrived in Macau
on 15 September 1931, where, at the age of 14, he entered the St Joseph Diocesan Seminary
, where he studied theory, solfeggio and harmony with the fathers Wilhelm Schmid and Antonio Andre Ngan. He was ordained a priest
on 8 September 1943.
Fr. Aureo was professor at the seminary and also a chaplain
and vicar
of the Macau Cathedral
. He was later appointed St Lawrence parish priest and became director of the catholic weekly newspaper O Clarim. Other posts held by Fr. Aureo included professor of choral singing, and of religion and morals, at both the Liceu
and the Pedro Nolasco Commercial School.
In 1951, Fr. Aureo went to Lisbon
to study music at the National Conservatory, where he also studied voice and piano with Biermann, Arminda Correia and Croner de Vasconcelos (1910-1974). He was also assistant to the Portuguese conductor and musicologist Mario Sampayo Ribeiro (1898-1966) in the choir of the University of Lisbon. He graduated with distinction in Music Composition in 1958. While he lived in Portugal, he completed the "Sonata No 1, Tres Conrais Melodias Gregorianas", "Sonata No 2, Sonatina no1" and "Sonatina no2. His Te Deum" for choir and organ. They premiered at the church of Sao Joao de Deus, Lisbon. Returning to Macau he promoted religious singing, and in 1959, he founded the "Grupo Coral Polifonico". In 1962, along with Father Cesar Brianza, he founded the "Academia de Musica de S. Pio X
" of which he became Director.
"Dancas da Siu Mui Mui", a piano suite for children was composed in 1967-68 and was published in Hong Kong in 1971.
Besides academic studies, the Academia de Musica de S Pio X organized public concerts, free of charge, and invited many internationally famous musicians to give concerts in Macau.
In 1983, he founded Macau Chamber Orchestra with British composer Stuart Bonner and a group of friends. The members of the orchestra were amateur musicians and music teachers from the Academy, which was later incorporated to the Macau Cultural Institute.
Fr Aureo dedicated his life to the promotion of music and his talents as teacher and composer are widely recognized. Today, students from the Academia can be found in Portugal, France, Switzerland, Australia, USA and Canada. In 1987 and 1990 he was twice decorated by the Macau Government with the Medal of Cultural Merit.
Fr. Aureo died on 21 January 1993, aged 76, at the Complexo Hospitalar Conde de S. Januario, and was buried at the Cemetery of Sao Miguel Arcanjo.
Azores
The Archipelago of the Azores is composed of nine volcanic islands situated in the middle of the North Atlantic Ocean, and is located about west from Lisbon and about east from the east coast of North America. The islands, and their economic exclusion zone, form the Autonomous Region of the...
, Portugal. He arrived in Macau
Macau
Macau , also spelled Macao , is, along with Hong Kong, one of the two special administrative regions of the People's Republic of China...
on 15 September 1931, where, at the age of 14, he entered the St Joseph Diocesan Seminary
Seminary
A seminary, theological college, or divinity school is an institution of secondary or post-secondary education for educating students in theology, generally to prepare them for ordination as clergy or for other ministry...
, where he studied theory, solfeggio and harmony with the fathers Wilhelm Schmid and Antonio Andre Ngan. He was ordained a priest
Priest
A priest is a person authorized to perform the sacred rites of a religion, especially as a mediatory agent between humans and deities. They also have the authority or power to administer religious rites; in particular, rites of sacrifice to, and propitiation of, a deity or deities...
on 8 September 1943.
Fr. Aureo was professor at the seminary and also a chaplain
Chaplain
Traditionally, a chaplain is a minister in a specialized setting such as a priest, pastor, rabbi, or imam or lay representative of a religion attached to a secular institution such as a hospital, prison, military unit, police department, university, or private chapel...
and vicar
Vicar
In the broadest sense, a vicar is a representative, deputy or substitute; anyone acting "in the person of" or agent for a superior . In this sense, the title is comparable to lieutenant...
of the Macau Cathedral
Cathedral
A cathedral is a Christian church that contains the seat of a bishop...
. He was later appointed St Lawrence parish priest and became director of the catholic weekly newspaper O Clarim. Other posts held by Fr. Aureo included professor of choral singing, and of religion and morals, at both the Liceu
Liceu
The Gran Teatre del Liceu , or simply Liceu in Catalan and Liceo in Spanish, is an opera house on La Rambla in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain...
and the Pedro Nolasco Commercial School.
In 1951, Fr. Aureo went to Lisbon
Lisbon
Lisbon is the capital city and largest city of Portugal with a population of 545,245 within its administrative limits on a land area of . The urban area of Lisbon extends beyond the administrative city limits with a population of 3 million on an area of , making it the 9th most populous urban...
to study music at the National Conservatory, where he also studied voice and piano with Biermann, Arminda Correia and Croner de Vasconcelos (1910-1974). He was also assistant to the Portuguese conductor and musicologist Mario Sampayo Ribeiro (1898-1966) in the choir of the University of Lisbon. He graduated with distinction in Music Composition in 1958. While he lived in Portugal, he completed the "Sonata No 1, Tres Conrais Melodias Gregorianas", "Sonata No 2, Sonatina no1" and "Sonatina no2. His Te Deum" for choir and organ. They premiered at the church of Sao Joao de Deus, Lisbon. Returning to Macau he promoted religious singing, and in 1959, he founded the "Grupo Coral Polifonico". In 1962, along with Father Cesar Brianza, he founded the "Academia de Musica de S. Pio X
Academia de Musica de S. Pio X
Academia de Música S. Pio X is a multi-lingual music school founded by the priest Áureo Castro in 1962, under the suggestion of the director of the Lisbon National Conservatory. Its original name was "Escola das Missões Católicas" , and the school opened its doors on 2 October with 48 enrolled...
" of which he became Director.
"Dancas da Siu Mui Mui", a piano suite for children was composed in 1967-68 and was published in Hong Kong in 1971.
Besides academic studies, the Academia de Musica de S Pio X organized public concerts, free of charge, and invited many internationally famous musicians to give concerts in Macau.
In 1983, he founded Macau Chamber Orchestra with British composer Stuart Bonner and a group of friends. The members of the orchestra were amateur musicians and music teachers from the Academy, which was later incorporated to the Macau Cultural Institute.
Fr Aureo dedicated his life to the promotion of music and his talents as teacher and composer are widely recognized. Today, students from the Academia can be found in Portugal, France, Switzerland, Australia, USA and Canada. In 1987 and 1990 he was twice decorated by the Macau Government with the Medal of Cultural Merit.
Fr. Aureo died on 21 January 1993, aged 76, at the Complexo Hospitalar Conde de S. Januario, and was buried at the Cemetery of Sao Miguel Arcanjo.
Works
- Aurei Carmina-Pianoforte e Organo (Copyright of Cioecesis Macaonensis)
- Aurei Carmina-Choro (Copyright of Cioecesis Macaonensis)
- Some other Symphonies which remained unpublished today.