Nelson Freire, October 18th, 1944 – November 1st, 2021
Acclaimed Brazilian pianist Nelson Freire has died at age 77. It was announced by Decca Classics, who Friere recorded exclusively with since 2001, that he passed away on November 1st in his Rio de Janeiro home.
One of the most well-known classical pianists of his generation, Freire was both a solo and collaborative performer. Appearing with some of the world’s most renowned orchestras — including the London Symphony Orchestra and New York Philharmonic — he leaves behind a legacy of extensive discography and numerous accolades, including three Grammy Award nominations. His recordings garnered a Gramophone Award, Diapason d’Or, and the Latin Grammy Award, in addition to Quarterly Critics Choice awards.
Freire was born in 1944 and began playing the piano at age three and gave his first public recital at age four. When he turned 13, Freire performed Beethoven’s “Emperor” concerto at the Rio International Piano Competition and won a scholarship to study in Vienna. Although Freire tended to avoid excessive publicity and attention, he did record commercially with his collaborative partner and friend, Martha Argerich. His solo repertoire includes works by Mozart, Schubert, Beethoven, Liszt, Brahms, Schumann, and Debussy, but he was best known for his interpretation of works by Chopin.
The pianist last performed in public in 2019, before injuring his shoulder and then postponing his performances due to the coronavirus pandemic. “Few pianists alive convey the sheer joy and exhilaration of being masters of their craft more vividly and uncomplicatedly than Nelson Freire…[his] dazzling technique is just a means to a musical end, never something to be flaunted for its own sake,” wrote music critic Andrew Clements in the London Guardian in 2014.
Freire leaves behind his love of Chopin and an extensive and impressive library of recordings for audiences to listen to, enjoy, and learn from today.
