Maestro Roberto Tibiriçá dies at 72 in São Paulo

Renowned Brazilian conductor Roberto Tibiriçá has died in São Paulo at the age of 72. He had been hospitalized while undergoing treatment for cancer.

Throughout a career spanning over four decades, Tibiriçá held leadership positions at several of Brazil’s most prominent musical institutions. Since 2022, he served as the principal conductor and musical director of the Orquestra Sinfônica do Paraná (OSP). His extensive resume also includes directing the Orquestra Sinfônica Brasileira (OSB), the Orquestra Sinfônica do Estado de São Paulo (Osesp), and the Orquestra Sinfônica de Minas Gerais. Internationally, he led the Orquestra Metropolitana de Lisboa and the Orquestra Simón Bolívar in Venezuela.

Beyond conducting, Tibiriçá was a member of the Academia Brasileira de Música and was recognized for his work in musical education, notably as the artistic director of the Instituto Baccarelli, where he helped develop the Orquestra Sinfônica Heliópolis. He was a recipient of several honors, including the APCA Award, the Carlos Gomes Award, and the Ordem do Ipiranga.

A public wake will be held at the Theatro Municipal de São Paulo on October 3 and 4. Burial is scheduled for Sunday, October 4, at the Cemitério São Paulo in Pinheiros.