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Carlos Vieu

conductor

"But there is no great Turandot without a great cast and a well-guided orchestra. The latter aspect, under the experienced Carlos Vieu, was very solid. He knows and deeply loves the score, managing to give it the right inflection in all its dimensions, in addition to controlling the volume so as not to overpower the singers..."

Turandot, Teatro Colón Buenos Aires 2024

Margarita Pollini, Clarín

18 may 2024

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TERRITORY

Latin America

BIO

Carlos Vieu is a renowned Argentine conductor, celebrated for his dynamic performances and profound musical interpretations. Specialized in opera repertoire and major choral-symphonic works, he currently serves as the director of the Stable Orchestra of the Teatro Argentino de La Plata. He has led major orchestras across South America and prestigious international groups. He is a permanent guest conductor of the Argentine National Symphony Orchestra since 2012 and was the principal conductor of the Stable Orchestra at the Teatro Colón in Buenos Aires.

From 2013 to 2016, he was the Music Director of the Teatro Argentino de La Plata, where he also held the position of principal conductor of its Stable Orchestra for the first time. Since 2014, he has been a guest conductor of the Silicon Valley Symphony in the United States.

He was the director of the Wagner Association Choir from 1992 to 1998 and made his debut as an opera conductor in 1992, achieving prominence during seasons at the Teatro Colón, the Teatro Argentino de La Plata, and with Buenos Aires Lírica.

He trained under masters such as H. Rilling, K. Masur, M. Benzecry, C. Dutoit, R. Gandolfi, and A. Ros Marbà. A disciple of Guillermo Scarabino, he studied at the National and Municipal conservatories and earned a degree in Orchestral Conducting and as a Professor in Instrumental and Chamber Ensembles from the National University of La Plata.

Alongside his artistic career, he is a professor at the Higher Institute of Arts at the Teatro Colón, the National University of Arts, and the Catholic University of Argentina.
Carlos Vieu is a renowned Argentine conductor, celebrated for his dynamic performances and profound musical interpretations. Specialized in opera repertoire and major choral-symphonic works, he currently serves as the director of the Stable Orchestra of the Teatro Argentino de La Plata. He has led major orchestras across South America and prestigious international groups. He is a permanent guest conductor of the Argentine National Symphony Orchestra since 2012 and was the principal conductor of the Stable Orchestra at the Teatro Colón in Buenos Aires.

From 2013 to 2016, he was the Music Director of the Teatro Argentino de La Plata, where he also held the position of principal conductor of its Stable Orchestra for the first time. Since 2014, he has been a guest conductor of the Silicon Valley Symphony in the United States.

He was the director of the Wagner Association Choir from 1992 to 1998 and made his debut as an opera conductor in 1992, achieving prominence during seasons at the Teatro Colón, the Teatro Argentino de La Plata, and with Buenos Aires Lírica.

He trained under masters such as H. Rilling, K. Masur, M. Benzecry, C. Dutoit, R. Gandolfi, and A. Ros Marbà. A disciple of Guillermo Scarabino, he studied at the National and Municipal conservatories and earned a degree in Orchestral Conducting and as a Professor in Instrumental and Chamber Ensembles from the National University of La Plata.

Alongside his artistic career, he is a professor at the Higher Institute of Arts at the Teatro Colón, the National University of Arts, and the Catholic University of Argentina.

REVIEWS

Turandot, Teatro Colón Buenos Aires 2024 "But there is no great Turandot without a great cast and a well-guided orchestra. The latter aspect, under the experienced Carlos Vieu, was very solid. He knows and deeply loves the score, managing to give it the right inflection in all its dimensions, in addition to controlling the volume so as not to overpower the singers, whose performances are often diminished due to the open stage and the setting." Margarita Pollini, Clarín 18 May 2024 Turandot, Teatro Colón Buenos Aires 2024 "Carlos Vieu is a conductor deeply identified with the music of Giacomo Puccini. He is a qualified connoisseur of his work, and his presence guarantees good performance in the musical aspect. This feeling of identification, combined with extensive experience from the podium, and the support of an orchestra that lived up to the demands, resulted in work where vitality and precision, along with the clear translation of the timbral richness proposed by the score, were equally balanced." Claudio Ratier, Sobreviviente en la Ciudad 19 May 2024 Nabucco, Teatro Colón Buenos Aires 2022 "Musically, we must highlight, first of all, the work of the most silent and hidden musician, the director. Carlos Vieu's work was impeccable. From the pit, he conducted the orchestra wonderfully and perfectly coordinated the musicians with the choir and with each of the singers whose arias could be sung at the exact tempi and without any inappropriate volume hindering them. The greatest ovations at the end were for Carlos Vieu and for the choir and its director, Miguel Martínez. And it was justice." Pablo Kohan, La Nación June 6, 2022 Teatro Colón: Nabucco is a surprising scenic spectacle that re-signifies a classic. "Musically, we must highlight, first of all, the work of the most silent and hidden musician, the director. Carlos Vieu's work was impeccable. From the pit, he conducted the orchestra wonderfully and perfectly coordinated the musicians with the choir and with each of the singers whose arias could be sung at the exact tempi and without any inappropriate volume hindering them. The greatest ovations at the end were for Carlos Vieu and for the choir and its director, Miguel Martínez. And it was justice." Pablo Kohan, La Nación June 6, 2022 Carlos Vieu Brings Out the Best in Symphony Silicon Valley. "Carlos Vieu has been one of Symphony Silicon Valley’s most popular regular guest conductors for several years. The Argentine conductor’s appearance in this year’s season at San Jose’s California Theatre last Friday showed why. There were no guest soloists in this concert, just two colorful, large-scale tonal compositions, the conductor, and the orchestra he conducts so well. Vieu made the orchestra play all the first variations in a brilliant and crisp manner with great intensity, giving them an energetic punch. Like Tchaikovsky, Kodály is a composer who likes to orchestrate in section blocks, putting different groups of instruments into dialogue or simultaneous contrast. Vieu brought these contrasts and interchanges vividly to life. This gives an energetic impact to the music and by giving each successive variation a distinct character, separates each from the next… These were thoughtful, sophisticated performances that showed the Symphony Silicon Valley responding with attention and immediacy to its conductor’s conceptions." David Bratman, San Francisco Classical Voice October 7, 2019 Aida Garifullina with Colón at Her Feet. "A separate paragraph is deserved by Carlos Vieu – undoubtedly one of the best opera conductors in our country – and the Buenos Aires Philharmonic Orchestra, whose work was impeccable from start to finish. Maestro Vieu is completely at ease in this type of repertoire, which he knows perfectly, which is evident in his confident, joyful, and at times emotional gestures. Emotion that he manages to transmit to the orchestra, which is always at the service of the singer, respecting their phrasing, without ever covering or bothering them. In addition to shining as an accompanist, the orchestra had very high moments in the pieces they performed as interludes between each of Aida’s entrances, where it is difficult to mention just one, given the level of rhythmic precision, the variety and timbral and dynamic subtleties." Maxi Luna, Música Clásica de Buenos Aires August 2019 Aida Garifullina's Debut in Argentina "Unlike what happened months ago with Elīna Garanča, who suffered tugs-of-war with another baton in her debut on the same stage, the relationship established between Garifullina and the Filarmónica was totally fluid thanks to the expert hand of Carlos Vieu – possibly the best local choice for this purpose – who controlled tempi and balance and endowed each fragment with the appropriate spirit. At the opening of the second part, moreover, orchestra and conductor set the mood in the hall with a most subtle interpretation of the prelude to the third act of Traviata, linked to the letter scene and the "Addio del passato," which Garifullina sang with heartbreaking expression." Margarita Pollini, Diario Clarín August 17, 2019 "La bohème" at Teatro Argentino: Vindication of tenderness. "Carlos Vieu's conducting had all the ingredients that PUCCINI's wonderful score requires: a deep lyricism without ever falling into saccharine, a wide range of colors, and attention to the clarity of the words. Vieu, as many times before, demonstrated what a conductor can achieve who knows how to make himself understood in the pit and also on stage, in this case with the Teatro Argentino's Stable Orchestra at its best level and a flawless vocal team." Ernesto Castagnino, Tiempo de Música May 2019 Verdi's Aida - 110th Anniversary Celebration Teatro Colón "The great musical animator was director Carlos Vieu, to whom the Colón finally entrusted an important title. He did it very well, already from the slow chromatic Prelude, much better than that Overture that Verdi rightly discarded. And he also has talent as a concertmaster, essential in this work where the concertante sections are arduous. His tempi were generally appropriate, except perhaps a somewhat restrained tempo in the great choral melody of the triumph scene and some overly long silences. And he always accompanied the singers with expertise and according to the character of each fragment." Pablo Bardin, Tribuna Musical June 11, 2018 Aida - 110 years of Teatro Colón "Carlos Vieu meticulously marked not only the entrances of the orchestra, singers, choir, and offstage elements but also the dynamic aspects, with great clarity in that and in the frequent meter changes, as well as in the endings of the scenes with singers, choir, orchestra, and offstage elements, often abrupt. Emphatic and precise endings, without discrepancies, in an interpretation, with the colors and nuances characteristic of the action and atmosphere of the work. In his versatility, which has led him to work on symphonic and concerto repertoire for solo instrument and orchestra, in vast experience, Carlos Vieu proves to be an excellent opera conductor." Eduardo Balestena, Críticos musicales de Argentina May 29, 2018 Clarín "The balance between music and voices is as perfect as in a film. Carlos Vieu controls all sound planes, from the pit to those that emerge behind the backdrop. The choirs are heard with extraordinary precision. The orchestra's deep strings provide the necessary support. Vieu's firm baton ensures that each solo sounds freely." Sandra de la Fuente, Clarín May 28, 2018 Concert by the Teatro Colón Stable Orchestra - Soloist Stefano Bollani "The orchestra had its starring moment during Gershwin's Cuban Overture, with exceptional solidity in the percussion and brass sections. The ease with which Vieu conducted the work translated into smiles not only from the audience but also among the musicians. With the awaited "Rhapsody in Blue," the first section of the concert closed with intense realization, in which the conductor demonstrated his ability to combine the orchestra's musical timings with spaces of freedom for the soloist's expression." Virginia Cacón Dorr, La Nación May 16, 2017 Suor Angelica (Puccini) I Pagliacci (Leoncavallo) Teatro Del Círculo "Carlos Vieu, leading the Rosario Provincial Symphony Orchestra, delivered a profound reading, highlighting the lyrical moments of the two scores. An impeccable direction." Diario La Capital de Rosario April 11, 2017 Choral Excellence: Carmina, Silicon Valley Symphony "Guest conductor Carlos Vieu led the Symphony Silicon Valley, its Chorus, the Cantabile Youth Singers, and soloists in a vivid and engaging performance of Carl Orff's Carmina Burana at San Jose's California Theatre last Saturday. Certainly, the texts are written in medieval Latin or Middle High German, something the audience could not be expected to understand. However, Vieu managed to make the singers express the words, achieving this purpose with a minimum of acting on stage. Vieu conducted the orchestra with raw rigor, producing powerful impacts from brass and percussion to achieve that primitive "Sound of the Roman Empire," so reminiscent of Respighi as well as Stravinsky or Prokofiev. If there was any fault, it would be that Vieu relied too much on the words to convey the structure. There weren't always purely musical reasons for the repeated stanzas. This caused some of the slower movements to drag a bit. However, he managed to tie the work up neatly with a bow." David Bratman, San Francisco Classical Voice March 25, 2014 Teatro Colón: An Aida to Remember "With Carlos Vieu's direction, very accurate in all its concepts, and the very good performances of the orchestra and choir, the celebration of the theater's anniversary, Verdi's wonderful music, the impressiveness of the staging, the certainties of the director and the orchestra, and, as a determining factor, the very good performance of the national cast converged. The sum of all of them exploded vociferously and tumultuously in an absolutely understandable final ovation." Pablo Kohan, Teatro Colón May 28, 2018 Clarín "The balance between music and voices is as perfect as in a film. Carlos Vieu controls all sound planes, from the pit to those that emerge behind the backdrop. The choirs are heard with extraordinary precision. The orchestra's deep strings provide the necessary support. Vieu's firm baton ensures that each solo sounds freely." Sandra de la Fuente, Clarín May 28, 2018 Concert by the Teatro Colón Stable Orchestra - Soloist Stefano Bollani "The orchestra had its starring moment during Gershwin's Cuban Overture, with exceptional solidity in the percussion and brass sections. The ease with which Vieu directed the work translated into smiles not only from the audience but also among the musicians. With the awaited "Rhapsody in Blue," the first section of the concert closed with an intense realization, in which the director demonstrated his ability to combine the orchestra's musical timings with spaces of freedom for the soloist's expression." Virginia Cacón Dorr, La Nación May 16, 2017 Suor Angelica (Puccini) I Pagliacci (Leoncavallo) Teatro Del Círculo "Carlos Vieu, leading the Rosario Provincial Symphony Orchestra, delivered a profound reading, highlighting the lyrical moments of the two scores. An impeccable direction." Diario La Capital de Rosario April 11, 2017 Tosca - Teatro Colón de Buenos Aires with Marcelo Álvarez "Maestro Carlos Vieu directed this rich score skillfully, in which both the stable orchestra and choir performed outstandingly. The audience rewarded the performers' work with thunderous applause, and the evening concluded with a scent of satisfaction worthy of the history of our premier theater." Prof. Christian Lauria, Opera World August 30, 2016 Tosca - Teatro Colón de Buenos Aires. "The orchestral direction of Carlos Vieu was clear, meticulous, and endowed with a remarkable lyrical flight. His musicality allowed him to control the structure and musical development of the spectacle." Jorge Aráoz Badí, Diario La Nación August 23, 2016 Tosca - Teatro Colón de Buenos Aires. "With a homogeneous sound in dynamic changes, perfect phrasing, and an absolutely clear palette of colors, the Stable Orchestra had a full and intense sound that allows us to infer - in addition to its recognized professionalism - the preparation work carried out with such an experienced maestro as Carlos Vieu. Director of the Teatro Argentino de La Plata's Stable Orchestra, he has participated in numerous productions leading various organizations. Among the titles addressed are Carmina Burana; Simón Boccanegra; Il Trovatore; Madama Butterfly and numerous other titles. He was titular - by competition - of the Mar del Plata Symphony Orchestra, with which, for the first time in Mar del Plata, he conducted Bruckner's Fourth Symphony; he was also one of the few disseminators of Washington Castro's work to whom he dedicated, in 2003, a tribute concert; he conducted the Zurich Gala; works such as Beethoven's Ninth Symphony. Many times I was able to appreciate his exhaustive work during general rehearsals of different works: thus, the result obtained on this occasion is not surprising." Eduardo Balestena, Tosca en la Temporada Lírica del Teatro Colón August 20, 2016 Tosca - Teatro Colón de Buenos Aires. "The orchestral direction of Carlos Vieu was clear, meticulous, and endowed with a remarkable lyrical flight." Jorge Aráoz Badí, La Nación August 2016 Tiempo de Musica "With a homogeneous sound in dynamic changes, perfect phrasing, and an absolutely clear palette of colors, the Stable Orchestra had a full and intense sound that allows us to infer - in addition to its recognized professionalism - the preparation work carried out with such an experienced maestro as Carlos Vieu. Director of the Teatro Argentino de La Plata's Stable Orchestra, he has participated in numerous productions leading various organizations. Among the titles addressed are Carmina Burana; Simón Boccanegra; Il Trovatore; Madama Butterfly and numerous other titles. He was titular - by competition - of the Mar del Plata Symphony Orchestra, with which, for the first time in Mar del Plata, he conducted Bruckner's Fourth Symphony; he was also one of the few disseminators of Washington Castro's work to whom he dedicated, in 2003, a tribute concert; he conducted the Zurich Gala; works such as Beethoven's Ninth Symphony. Many times I was able to appreciate his exhaustive work during general rehearsals of different works: thus, the result obtained on this occasion is not surprising." Ernesto Castagnino, Tiempo de Música May 2016 Verdi's Requiem Mass in La Plata: The Atheist Requiem or When Verdi was Accused of Being Wagnerian "With Carlos Vieu's solid concertation and a homogeneous solo quartet, the Teatro Argentino offered an outstanding version of the mass Verdi dedicated to the writer Alessandro Manzoni. On this occasion, Carlos Vieu conducted, demonstrating as always his profound and honest commitment to the score he undertakes. As in his 2008 approach leading the Teatro Colón's Stable Orchestra and Chorus, Vieu once again tackled the work with intensity and great concertante ability, this time leading the La Plata stable ensembles who responded at a very high level. The Teatro Argentino de La Plata's Stable Orchestra responded to Vieu's energetic baton with a wide range of dynamics, a robust and vibrant sound." Ernesto Castagnino, Tiempo de Música August 2014 Debut at the Lausanne Opera. Switzerland. Barber of Seville. "Carrying out the action at a hellish TEMPO, which will be maintained by Carlos Vieu's precise direction, at the head of the Lausanne Opera Choir and the Lausanne Chamber Orchestra. And the public applauds a quality show, whose dynamism never wanes." Paul-André Demierre, CRESCENDO March 5, 2014 Puccini's Turandot Production in Lima "The Argentine conductor Carlos Vieu is imposing and precise on the podium, largely achieving group cohesion and good balances in the cast (...) The sound achieved is more than satisfactory for a work as complex as 'Turandot'." Gonzalo Tello, Operaperu.com June 2012 Simon Boccanegra 2011 Season Teatro Colón "Suddenly, the current lyric season reached a higher artistic hierarchy with an excellent musical version of Verdi's Simon Boccanegra, led by a cast headed by orchestra conductor Carlos Vieu, who (...) achieved a sensitive, refined, and temperate version much more in line with the Verdian style of the creator's last compositional stage..." Juan Carlos Montero, La Nación 2011 Simon Boccanegra 2011 Season Teatro Colón "Carlos Vieu's baton was magnificent: the Rosario Provincial Symphony Orchestra faced the challenge of tackling such a complex score full of sound delicacies with solvency. Suffice it to say that Maestro Carlos Vieu is one of Argentina's top operatic conductors, and with such training and specialization, results like those heard in this carefully crafted production of Tosca are achieved." Santos Cantoni, La Capital 2011 Teatro Avenida. Buenos Aires Lírica 2010 "The musical version by Carlos Vieu was up to the merits of a master of undeniable caliber, not only for the virtues emanating from his conducting technique, but also for his excellence as an interpreter who hits the style of each creator, a detail that influenced the performance of an entire cast of singers and the orchestra's performance. But, also, with the probity of achieving the much-desired balance with the stage, essential in the world of sung theater." Susana Freire, Diario La Nación 2010 La Traviata. Buenos Aires Lírica. 2009. Teatro Avenida. "Just as Verdi's music has such great force and truth that one does not forget the artificiality of his librettist Piave's words, the direction of Carlos Vieu gives this production the depth that in the scene is not achieved. Vieu conducts from memory and achieves optimal connection with both the orchestra and the singers, and with both of them to each other, with authority and precision." Margarita Pollini, Diario Perfil 2009 Lucia di Lammermoor. Teatro Argentino de La Plata 2009. "The vocal fullness displayed by the score of "Lucia" associated with a prodigious melodic invention, the undisputed patrimony of the composer from Bergamo, had Maestro Carlos Alberto Vieu as its consistent translator, who served as orchestra conductor and concertmaster before an effective team of instrumentists, achieving a brilliant result. Respectful of the voices that populated the scenario, the conductor's grip was evidenced along all the beautiful donizettian writing." Eduardo Giorello, Lucia di Lammermoor 2009 Debut as titular of the OETC "The Estable brilliant with Vieu (…..) was his presentation as titular of the organization, an opportunity to ratify in a resounding way his virtues as a distinguished and sensitive musician who, with his joy for making music and expressive temperament, exerts a strong magnetism to extract from the orchestras the best of each member." J.C. Montero, La Nación March 2008 Turandot by Puccini. Luna Park. 2006. Debut as opera conductor for the T. Colón de Buenos Aires. "Puccini has been orchestrally translated with propriety and care, recreating at all times through its elaborated and penetrating harmonies the fantastic character. It is worth noting in this sense the merit of Carlos Vieu for his intelligent stylistic version in elaborating a score with a complex symphonic language in terms of texture, color and subtleties, as well as numerous Chinese music motifs, achieving a commendable translation by the Stable Orchestra." Héctor Coda, La Nación 2006

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