VCSU Lecture-Recital to Celebrate Brazilian Music March 17

The rhythms of frevo, maracatu, and caboclinhos will fill the Larry J. Robinson Center for the Arts on Tuesday, March 17, when Valley City State University's Department of Music presents a free public lecture-recital celebrating the work of Brazilian composer Marlos Nobre (1939-2024).

The event begins at 7 p.m. and centers on Nobre's IV Northeastern Cycle, Op. 43, a piano work drawn from the folkloric traditions of Northeastern Brazil. Dr. Thiago Ferreira, a Brazilian pianist and piano faculty member at the Challey School of Music at North Dakota State University, will both perform the piece and provide commentary on the cultural forces that shaped it.

The lecture-recital format places equal weight on performance and explanation, offering audiences context alongside the music. Rather than simply quoting folk melodies, Nobre captures their rhythmic drive, percussive textures, and intensity, bringing the spirit of Brazilian street celebrations to the concert stage. The educational commentary is designed to deepen understanding of how folklore continues to shape contemporary classical music.

Nobre, who died in 2024, spent his career incorporating Northeastern Brazilian folk traditions into concert works. The IV Northeastern Cycle, Op. 43 draws on energetic genres like frevo, a fast-tempo carnival music associated with Pernambuco, alongside maracatu and caboclinhos, transforming that cultural heritage into what VCSU's announcement describes as "a compelling virtuosic concert experience."

The collaboration between VCSU and NDSU's Challey School brings Ferreira from Fargo to Valley City for the performance. Admission is free and no registration is required. The Larry J. Robinson Center for the Arts is located on the VCSU campus in Valley City.