NOVAS, GUIOMAR

born Feb. 28, 1896, So Joo da Bo Vista, Brazil died March 7, 1979, So Paulo in full Guiomar Novas Pinto Brazilian pianist known especially for her interpretations of works by Frdric Chopin and Robert Schumann. After early studies in So Paulo with Luigi Chiafarelli, Novas was sent by the Brazilian government to the Paris Conservatory, where she took first place in the entrance examinations (1909). There she studied with Isidor Philipp, graduating with a first prize in 1911. Acclaimed at her debuts in Paris (1911), London (1912), and New York City (1915), she enjoyed a concert career of more than 50 years. She championed the works of Brazilian composers, including those of her husband, Octavio Pinto. Her graceful, poetic, and intensely lyrical style is shown to full advantage on only a few of the many recordings she made after the early 1920s.