Waldemar Szpilman

Origin

Rio de Janeiro, RJ

Also known as

Valdemar Spillmann, Waldemar Spilman, Waldemar Spillman

Years Active

1938–1967

Genres

instrumental music, música popular brasileira, classical music

Instruments

saxophone, violin

Biography

Waldemar Szpilman was a Polish saxophonist, composer, and orchestra leader who naturalized as a Brazilian, and whose musical career marked the cultural scene of Rio de Janeiro. Born in Poland, he immigrated to Brazil in the 1920s and built a solid career leading his own orchestra, which rivaled the famous Orquestra Tabajara at the traditional dances of the federal capital.

In addition to his work in dance music, Szpilman stood out in the classical milieu as an instrumentalist for the Brazilian Symphony Orchestra and a partner of the famous conductor Heitor Villa-Lobos. He had the honor of being the original soloist for the work Fantasia para saxofone, premiered in 1951 with accompaniment from the MEC Chamber Orchestra. Over the years, he recorded striking albums such as Dançando com Waldemar Spilman e sua Orquestra.

In later years, he ended the activities of his dance orchestra to dedicate himself entirely to Rádio MEC as a programmer and to his work with the Brazilian Symphony Orchestra. His strong artistic streak was also perpetuated in his family, as the father of musician Marcos Szpilman and grandfather of singer and actress Taryn Szpilman.