Jamary Oliveira

Origin

Saúde, BA

Genres

classical music, contemporary music, electroacoustic music

Instruments

viola, flute, tuba

Biography

Jamary Oliveira was an important Brazilian musician, professor, and composer, born in the interior of Bahia. He graduated in Composition from the School of Music of the Federal University of Bahia (UFBA) in 1969, having studied under the tutelage of Ernst Widmer and participated in extension courses with prominent names such as Edino Krieger. Later, he furthered his academic training by obtaining his master's degree from Brandeis University and his doctorate from the University of Texas at Austin, both in the field of composition.

Throughout his professional career, he worked as a professor of Literature, Music Theory, and Composition at UFBA, in addition to being one of the founders of the Bahia Composers Group (Grupo de Compositores da Bahia). He played an active role in the New Music Festivals in Bahia and stood out starting in 1978 as a pioneer in the research of musical software in Brazil, creating programs aimed at musical analysis and composition, such as the Pitch Class Processor (PCN). His academic and compositional production earned him international recognition, being included in reference publications such as The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians and becoming a member of the Brazilian Academy of Music (Academia Brasileira de Música).

His vast body of work ranged from instrumental and orchestral music to electroacoustic pieces, and has been performed and recorded both in Brazil and abroad. He was married to the pianist and composer Alda Oliveira, leaving a lasting legacy in contemporary Brazilian classical music.

Discography

• Lindembergue Cardoso, Jamary Oliveira, Conjunto de Musica Nova da UFBa, Ernst Widmer – Compositores da Bahia 4 (1975)
• Cristina Capparelli Interpreta a Obra para Piano de Alda Oliveira e Jamary Oliveira (2011)
• Agnaldo Ribeiro / Ernst Widmer / Jamary Oliveira / Lindembergue Cardoso / Paulo Costa Lima / Ryoko Katena Veiga – Compositores da Bahia 8