Bruno Procopio, Artistique Director and Conductor
Following studies at the Paris Conservatory (CNSMDP) with Pierre Hantaï and Christophe Rousset, conductor and harpsichordist Bruno Procopio has pursued a varied international career.
He has conducted concerts from the harpsichord at the Edinburgh International Festival, Cheltenham Festival (UK), Semana de Música Religiousa de Cuenca (Spain), Bozar (Brussels), Les Folles Journées (Nantes), La Chaise-Dieu (France), Simón Bolívar Hall (Caracas, Mexico), the Théâtre des Champs-Élysées, the Cathédrale des Invalides (Paris), the Grande Auditório da Fundação Gulbenkian (Lisbon), and the Grande Auditório do Centro Cultural de Belém (Lisbon), in addition to tours in China, India, Iran, and Indonesia.
Prestigious orchestras have benefited from his stylistic expertise and leadership, including the Simón Bolivar Symphony Orchestra of Venezuela, the Brazilian Symphony Orchestra (OSB), the Liège Royal Philharmonic Orchestra (Belgium), the Les Siècles Choir and Orchestra, Orchestre Lamoureux (Paris), Orquestra Sinfônica do Estado de São Paulo (OSESP), the Manaus Opera Orchestra (Brazil), the Orchestre National des Pays de la Loire, Orchestre d’Auvergne, Minas Gerais Philharmonic Orchestra (Brazil), Costa Rica National Symphony Orchestra, Tenerife Baroque Orchestra (Spain), the AMA-UNAM Orchestra and Choir (Mexico), and other orchestral and vocal ensembles, including the Simón Bolivar Baroque Orchestra of Venezuela which he founded within the Sistema in 2013.
Procopio is a regular guest conductor of opera at Rio de Janeiro’s Théatro Municipal with the Brazilian Symphony Orchestra (OSB). Two productions received wide critical acclaim: the modern premiere of Oro non compra amore (Lisbon, 1804) by the Luso-Brazilian Marcos Portugal, one of the most performed operas in the world in the first half of the 19th century, and Renaud (1783) by Antonio Sacchini, directed by André Heller, associate director of the Royal Opera House at Covent Garden. This production was co-produced by the Bru Zane Foundation (the Centre for French Romantic Music, Venice).
Procopio works in close collaboration with the Versailles Baroque Music Center (CMBV) to bring French Baroque repertoire to major South American opera houses and orchestras, with whom he has long-standing relationships. Thanks to his initiative a new festival was launched in 2014 at Rio de Janeiro’s most prestigious concert hall, the Sala Cecília Meireles.
As a harpsichord soloist, Procopio recorded J.S. Bach’s complete Partitas, C.P.E. Bach’s complete Württemberg Sonatas, J.S. Bach’s complete Sonatas for viola da gamba and harpsichord, Rameau’s complete Concert Pieces for Harpsichord, and a Couperin disc: Portrait d’Iris. As a conductor, Procopio recorded Missa Grande (Lisbon, 1785) and Matinas do Natal (Rio de Janeiro, 1811), two masterworks by the Luso-Brazilian Marcos Portugal.
A regular guest conductor of the Simón Bolivar Symphony Orchestra of Venezuela, Procopio led the ensemble for the album “Rameau in Caracas” which received widespread critical acclaim, including Classica Magazine’s “Choc” Award and 5 stars from Diapason Magazine. The recording was Album of the Week of Le Figaro in France and Classic FM in the U.K.
Procopio also has extensive pedagogical experience. He works with the Young Audience program of the Brazilian Symphony Orchestra (OSB) as well as the Sistema orchestras (Simón Bolivar Symphony Orchestra of Venezuela). He regularly conducts the Choir and Orchestra of the Ancient Music Academy of the National University of Mexico (AMA). In 2019, Bruno Procopio will conduct the Jeune Orchestre de l’Abbaye, Festival de Saintes, France (JOA), one of France’s most prestigious youth orchestras, which attracts the best students from European conservatories to perform on period instruments.
Always enthusiastic to share his knowledge, Procopio has given masterclasses in universities across Latin America including Rio de Janeiro’s UNIRIO, Simón Bolívar University in Caracas, and Chile’s Catholic University. He was also a guest at Beijing’s Central Conservatory, and regularly teaches harpsichord at the Accademia Villa Bossi in Italy.
In 2007 he founded Paraty Productions, a record label distributed worldwide by PIAS-Harmonia Mundi, whose business model was recently praised by Le Monde. In 2010 Paraty was awarded France’s highest industry award: a Victoire de la Musique Classique for Album of the Year.
