Ilza Nogueira facts for kids

Ilza Nogueira (born December 25, 1948) is a talented Brazilian composer, music teacher, and musicologist. A musicologist is someone who studies music history and theory deeply. She is especially good at analyzing music to understand how it's put together.

About Ilza Nogueira

Ilza Nogueira grew up in Salvador, a city in Bahia, Brazil. She loved music and studied composition, which is the art of creating music, at the School of Music and Performing Arts of the Federal University of Bahia. Her teacher was Ernst Widmer.

After finishing her studies in 1972, she received a special scholarship to continue learning in Cologne, Germany, from 1974 to 1977. There, she studied with another famous composer, Mauricio Kagel.

Later, she moved to the United States and earned two advanced degrees from the State University of New York at Buffalo. She studied with composers Lejaren Hiller and Morton Feldman. After her studies, she became a music teacher at the Federal University of Paraíba in Brazil, where she taught until she retired in 1998.

Her Music and Research

Most of Ilza Nogueira's compositions are chamber music. This means music written for a small group of instruments, often with a singer. Her works have been performed at many important modern music events in Brazil, like the Biennial of Contemporary Brazilian Music.

Ilza Nogueira is also a respected scholar, which means she is an expert in her field. She is a member of the Brazilian Academy of Music. As a musicologist, she writes books and articles about contemporary music, especially focusing on composers from Bahia. Her research project, "Historical Landmarks of Contemporary Composition in Bahia," helps publish important musical works and essays.

In November 2014, she helped start the Brazilian Society for Music Theory and Analysis, called TeMA. She was chosen as its first President and served until 2018.

Musical Works

Ilza Nogueira has composed many pieces of music. Here are some examples:

• SEIS EPITÁFIOS PARA ARNOLD (2024), for violin and piano.
• TRAJETÓRIAS (2022), for solo flute.
• CANTARES DA VELHA BAHIA (2020), for string orchestra.
• BRASIL, 1959: SERESTA, CHORO E FREVO PARA VILLA (2019/2022/2024), for viola and piano.
• INTERFACES (2010-2011), for piano.
• REMINISCÊNCIAS (2006), for a solo soprano singer.
• MEMÓRIAS (1993/2009), for flute, piano, and cello.
• SUÍTE OPARA (2005), for a group of five woodwind instruments.
• VIA-SACRA: ORATÓRIO DE SEMANA SANTA (2004), for orchestra, choir, and solo singers.
• PRECE (2002), for a choir singing without instruments.
• SERENATA ICONOCLASTA (2001), for orchestra and choir.
• CANTATA GONZAGUEANA (1999-2000), for a tenor singer, choir, and orchestra, based on popular Brazilian music.
• ODE AOS JAMAIS ILUMINADOS (1993), for string quartet, piano, and two narrators.
• IN MEMORIAM (1988), for soprano and percussion.
• KALEIDOSCOPE (1983), for two groups of brass instruments.
• IDIOSSINCRASIA (1972), for seven violins, a special instrument called ronda, percussion, tape, voices, and synthesizer.

Books by Ilza Nogueira

Ilza Nogueira has also written books and articles about music.

• Nogueira, Ilza. Ernst Widmer: Perfil estilístico. Salvador: Escola de Música da UFBA, 1997. This book is about the musical style of her teacher, Ernst Widmer.
• Nogueira, Ilza. Ernst Widmer: Catálogo de Obras. Rio de Janeiro: Academia Brasileira de Música, 2007. This book lists all the musical works by Ernst Widmer.