Garrett Snedeker Lecture Recital: Chiquinha Gonzaga– Brazilian Composer, Musician, and Catalyst for Social Change

About the event

Chiquinha Gonzaga (1847-1935) was a musician and composer who provoked social reform and progress in Brazil.  Gonzaga was the first professional pianist of the choro genre (one of the first Brazilian popular music genres), the first person commissioned to write music for the Carnaval celebration, and the first female conductor in Brazil. A new Portuguese word was even used for her title as female conductor: Maestrina. Today, she is virtually unknown outside of Brazil; within her native country, however, she is a timeless icon, famous as a composer, performer, and for opposing the traditional stereotypes associated with a woman’s place in a patriarchal society.

Since traveling to Brazil to collect sources and study Gonzaga’s music, Junior Garrett Snedeker will be sharing his research, made possible by the College of Arts and Sciences Summer Mini-Grant.

Music by Gonzaga will be performed by Garrett, WSU Students, and members of the community.

This event is open to the public and without charge.

Corta Jaca, performed by Garrett Snedeker. A piece in the style of a Brazilian maxixe dance, this music was enjoyed by the lower classes, considered scandalous to the aristocrats at the time.