Neal Peres Da Costa
Encyclopedia
Neal Peres Da Costa is an Australia
n harpsichord
ist, fortepianist
and organist
. He specialises in performance on historical keyboard instruments of the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, for which he has gained international renown. Since 2005, he has been the head of the Early Music faculty at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music
.
Neal Peres Da Costa was born in Bahrain
, then part of the Trucial States
, to parents from Goa
, India
. His family moved to Australia when he was five years old. After graduating from the University of Sydney
, Peres Da Costa attained a Postgraduate Diploma in Early Music from the Guildhall School of Music
and a Master in Music Performance from the City University, London
. In 2002, he attained a PhD from the University of Leeds
, where he researched performing practices in late 19th-century piano playing with particular reference to early recordings.
He spent ten years as Professor of Fortepiano at the Royal Academy of Music
in London, where he was also a Lecturer in Performance Practice. He also held the post of Lecturer in 19th-Century Performing Practice for the Masters Degree at Trinity College of Music
in London. In 2000 Peres Da Costa was Artist in Residence at Bretton Hall College at the University of Leeds. For many years he has been Professor on the annual International Summer Course in Spain held by the Fundacio ‘la Caixa’ and is currently a chamber music teacher at the annual International Early Music Course in Urbino
in Italy. He has also taught on the Early Music Summer Course in Southern Bohemia.
He is the co-founder of Florilegium
, an internationally renowned period instrument ensemble with which he performed around the world, including France
, Spain
, Germany
, the Netherlands
, North
and South America
, China
and Australia, and in major venues such as the Concertgebouw (Amsterdam), the Teatro Colón in Buenos Aires
and the Wigmore Hall
in London, at which Florilegium held a prestigious residency for several years. Together they have made many award-winning recordings.
Neal Peres Da Costa has performed with the Academy of Ancient Music
, the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment
, the Australian Chamber Orchestra
, the Sydney Symphony, Sinfonia Australis, the Orchestra of the Antipodes, Pinchgut Opera
, the Australian Brandenburg Orchestra
, the Australian Bach Ensemble, the Sydney Philharmonia, and the Song Company; and with artists such as Dame Emma Kirkby
, Nancy Argenta
, James Bowman, Derek Lee Ragin
, Michael Chance
, and Pieter Wispelwey
.
In 2007, he was awarded the University of Sydney's Alumni Award for Community Service for his contribution to music as a performer and educator, both within the University of Sydney and in the community at large.
He is principal continuo player on the ABC Classics
recording of Bach Arias with Sara Macliver
and Sally-Anne Russell. He has made several recordings on the ABC Classics label including the Bach Sonatas for Viola da Gamba and Harpsichord with Daniel Yeadon, and the Bach Sonatas for Violin and Harpsichord with Richard Tognetti
and Daniel Yeadon, which won the 2008 ARIA
fine arts award for Best Classical Album.
Peres Da Costa has given papers at the Royal Musical Association Conference in 2000, the Conference of 19th-Century Music at Leeds University in 2002 and the Symposium of 19th-Century Music during the Utrecht
Early Music Festival in 2002. He regularly presents pre-concert lectures for Musica Viva Australia
. He co-authored the entry for Performance Practice in the Oxford Companion to Music.
He donates much of his spare time to students through his involvement in mentoring and by providing master classes for high school students and emerging artists.
Da Costa and cellist Daniel Yeadon have been together since 1990. They were married in a civil partnership ceremony in the United Kingdom in 2007.
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n harpsichord
Harpsichord
A harpsichord is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It produces sound by plucking a string when a key is pressed.In the narrow sense, "harpsichord" designates only the large wing-shaped instruments in which the strings are perpendicular to the keyboard...
ist, fortepianist
Fortepiano
Fortepiano designates the early version of the piano, from its invention by the Italian instrument maker Bartolomeo Cristofori around 1700 up to the early 19th century. It was the instrument for which Haydn, Mozart, and the early Beethoven wrote their piano music...
and organist
Pipe organ
The pipe organ is a musical instrument that produces sound by driving pressurized air through pipes selected via a keyboard. Because each organ pipe produces a single pitch, the pipes are provided in sets called ranks, each of which has a common timbre and volume throughout the keyboard compass...
. He specialises in performance on historical keyboard instruments of the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, for which he has gained international renown. Since 2005, he has been the head of the Early Music faculty at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music
Sydney Conservatorium of Music
The Sydney Conservatorium of Music is one of the oldest and most prestigious music schools in Australia...
.
Neal Peres Da Costa was born in Bahrain
Bahrain
' , officially the Kingdom of Bahrain , is a small island state near the western shores of the Persian Gulf. It is ruled by the Al Khalifa royal family. The population in 2010 stood at 1,214,705, including 235,108 non-nationals. Formerly an emirate, Bahrain was declared a kingdom in 2002.Bahrain is...
, then part of the Trucial States
Trucial States
The Trucial States were a group of sheikhdoms in the Persian Gulf.-General aspects:The sheikdoms included:*Abu Dhabi *Ajman...
, to parents from Goa
Goa
Goa , a former Portuguese colony, is India's smallest state by area and the fourth smallest by population. Located in South West India in the region known as the Konkan, it is bounded by the state of Maharashtra to the north, and by Karnataka to the east and south, while the Arabian Sea forms its...
, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
. His family moved to Australia when he was five years old. After graduating from the University of Sydney
University of Sydney
The University of Sydney is a public university located in Sydney, New South Wales. The main campus spreads across the suburbs of Camperdown and Darlington on the southwestern outskirts of the Sydney CBD. Founded in 1850, it is the oldest university in Australia and Oceania...
, Peres Da Costa attained a Postgraduate Diploma in Early Music from the Guildhall School of Music
Guildhall School of Music and Drama
Guildhall School of Music and Drama is an independent music and dramatic arts school which was founded in 1880 in London, England. Students can pursue courses in Music, Opera, Drama and Technical Theatre Arts.-History:...
and a Master in Music Performance from the City University, London
City University, London
City University London , is a public research university located in London, United Kingdom. It was founded in 1894 as the Northampton Institute and became a university in 1966, when it adopted its present name....
. In 2002, he attained a PhD from the University of Leeds
University of Leeds
The University of Leeds is a British Redbrick university located in the city of Leeds, West Yorkshire, England...
, where he researched performing practices in late 19th-century piano playing with particular reference to early recordings.
He spent ten years as Professor of Fortepiano at the Royal Academy of Music
Royal Academy of Music
The Royal Academy of Music in London, England, is a conservatoire, Britain's oldest degree-granting music school and a constituent college of the University of London since 1999. The Academy was founded by Lord Burghersh in 1822 with the help and ideas of the French harpist and composer Nicolas...
in London, where he was also a Lecturer in Performance Practice. He also held the post of Lecturer in 19th-Century Performing Practice for the Masters Degree at Trinity College of Music
Trinity College of Music
Trinity College of Music is one of the London music conservatories, based in Greenwich. It is part of Trinity Laban.The conservatoire is inheritor of elegant riverside buildings of the former Greenwich Hospital, designed in part by Sir Christopher Wren...
in London. In 2000 Peres Da Costa was Artist in Residence at Bretton Hall College at the University of Leeds. For many years he has been Professor on the annual International Summer Course in Spain held by the Fundacio ‘la Caixa’ and is currently a chamber music teacher at the annual International Early Music Course in Urbino
Urbino
Urbino is a walled city in the Marche region of Italy, south-west of Pesaro, a World Heritage Site notable for a remarkable historical legacy of independent Renaissance culture, especially under the patronage of Federico da Montefeltro, duke of Urbino from 1444 to 1482...
in Italy. He has also taught on the Early Music Summer Course in Southern Bohemia.
He is the co-founder of Florilegium
Florilegium early music ensemble
Florilegium is an early music ensemble based in London. The Director, Ashley Solomon co-founded the group in 1991, and Florilegium's performances range from intimate chamber music to large-scale orchestral repertoire...
, an internationally renowned period instrument ensemble with which he performed around the world, including France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, the Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
, North
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
and South America
South America
South America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...
, China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
and Australia, and in major venues such as the Concertgebouw (Amsterdam), the Teatro Colón in Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires is the capital and largest city of Argentina, and the second-largest metropolitan area in South America, after São Paulo. It is located on the western shore of the estuary of the Río de la Plata, on the southeastern coast of the South American continent...
and the Wigmore Hall
Wigmore Hall
Wigmore Hall is a leading international recital venue that specialises in hosting performances of chamber music and is best known for classical recitals of piano, song and instrumental music. It is located at 36 Wigmore Street, London, UK and was built to provide London with a venue that was both...
in London, at which Florilegium held a prestigious residency for several years. Together they have made many award-winning recordings.
Neal Peres Da Costa has performed with the Academy of Ancient Music
Academy of Ancient Music
The Academy of Ancient Music is a period-instrument orchestra based in Cambridge, England. Founded by harpsichordist Christopher Hogwood in 1973, it was named after a previous organisation of the same name of the 18th century. The musicians play on either original instruments or modern copies of...
, the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment
Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment
The Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment is a British period instrument orchestra. The OAE is a resident orchestra of the Southbank Centre, London, associate orchestra at Glyndebourne Festival Opera and has its headquarters at Kings Place...
, the Australian Chamber Orchestra
Australian Chamber Orchestra
The Australian Chamber Orchestra was founded by cellist John Painter in 1975. Richard Tognetti was appointed Lead Violin in 1989 and subsequently appointed Artistic Director....
, the Sydney Symphony, Sinfonia Australis, the Orchestra of the Antipodes, Pinchgut Opera
Pinchgut Opera
Pinchgut Opera is a chamber opera company in Sydney, Australia, presenting opera from the 17th and 18th centuries performed on period instruments. Founded in 2002, the company's goal is to present operas not widely known and worthy of a wider audience...
, the Australian Brandenburg Orchestra
Australian Brandenburg Orchestra
The Australian Brandenburg Orchestra is an Australian period instrument orchestra specialising in the performance of baroque and classical music.The musicians play from original edition scores on restored or reproduced instruments of the 18th century...
, the Australian Bach Ensemble, the Sydney Philharmonia, and the Song Company; and with artists such as Dame Emma Kirkby
Emma Kirkby
Dame Carolyn Emma Kirkby, DBE is an English soprano singer and one of the world's most renowned early music specialists. She attended Sherborne School For Girls in Dorset and was a classics student at Somerville College, Oxford, and an English teacher before developing a career as a soloist...
, Nancy Argenta
Nancy Argenta
Nancy Maureen Argenta is a Canadian soprano singer, best known for performing music from the pre-classical era. She has won international acclaim, and is considered by many as the leading Handel soprano of her time.She was born in Nelson, British Columbia, Canada...
, James Bowman, Derek Lee Ragin
Derek Lee Ragin
Derek Lee Ragin is an American countertenor.Ragin studied as a piano major at the Oberlin Conservatory of Music. While at Oberlin he took secondary voice lessons with Richard Anderson. He began his operatic career at Oberlin in Benjamin Britten's A Midsummer Night's Dream as Oberon...
, Michael Chance
Michael Chance
Michael Chance CBE is an English countertenor.Chance was born in Penn, Buckinghamshire, into a musical family. After growing up as a chorister he attended Eton College, Berkshire, and later King's College, Cambridge...
, and Pieter Wispelwey
Pieter Wispelwey
Pieter Wispelwey is a Dutch cellist. In 1992 he was the first cellist to receive the Netherlands Music Prize, given to the most promising young musician in the Netherlands. He has come to be regarded as one of the world's leading cello soloists.Pieter Wispelwey was born in Haarlem and grew up in...
.
In 2007, he was awarded the University of Sydney's Alumni Award for Community Service for his contribution to music as a performer and educator, both within the University of Sydney and in the community at large.
He is principal continuo player on the ABC Classics
ABC Classics
ABC Classics is the classical music record label within the Australian Broadcasting Corporation. It is internationally recognised as Australia's premier classical music label, with a catalogue of more than 500 titles...
recording of Bach Arias with Sara Macliver
Sara Macliver
Sara Macliver is an Australian soprano singer, born and raised in Perth, Western Australia.Sara is one of Australia’s most popular and versatile artists, appearing in operas, concert and recital performances and on numerous recordings...
and Sally-Anne Russell. He has made several recordings on the ABC Classics label including the Bach Sonatas for Viola da Gamba and Harpsichord with Daniel Yeadon, and the Bach Sonatas for Violin and Harpsichord with Richard Tognetti
Richard Tognetti
Richard Leo Tognetti, AO is an Australian violinist, composer and conductor. He is currently Artistic Director and Leader of the Australian Chamber Orchestra and Artistic Director of the Maribor Festival in Maribor, Slovenia....
and Daniel Yeadon, which won the 2008 ARIA
ARIA Music Awards
The Australian Recording Industry Association Music Awards is an annual series of awards nights celebrating the Australian music industry, put on by the Australian Recording Industry Association...
fine arts award for Best Classical Album.
Peres Da Costa has given papers at the Royal Musical Association Conference in 2000, the Conference of 19th-Century Music at Leeds University in 2002 and the Symposium of 19th-Century Music during the Utrecht
Utrecht (city)
Utrecht city and municipality is the capital and most populous city of the Dutch province of Utrecht. It is located in the eastern corner of the Randstad conurbation, and is the fourth largest city of the Netherlands with a population of 312,634 on 1 Jan 2011.Utrecht's ancient city centre features...
Early Music Festival in 2002. He regularly presents pre-concert lectures for Musica Viva Australia
Musica Viva Australia
Musica Viva Australia is the oldest independent performing arts organisation in Australia and the world's largest entrepreneur of chamber music. It was formed in 1945 in Sydney by violist Richard Goldner...
. He co-authored the entry for Performance Practice in the Oxford Companion to Music.
He donates much of his spare time to students through his involvement in mentoring and by providing master classes for high school students and emerging artists.
Da Costa and cellist Daniel Yeadon have been together since 1990. They were married in a civil partnership ceremony in the United Kingdom in 2007.