José Maurício
Nunes Garcia

José Maurício Nunes Garcia (1767-1830) was a Brazilian classical composer, one of the greatest exponents of Classicism in the Americas. Born in Rio de Janeiro, son of mulattos, Nunes Garcia lost his father at an early age. Nunes Garcia became a priest and, when prince John VI of Portugal came to Rio de Janeiro, Nunes Garcia was appointed Master of the Royal Chapel. He sang and played the harpsichord, performing his compositions as well as those of other composers such as Domenico Cimarosa and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. He was a very prestigious musician in the royal court. His musical style was strongly influenced by Viennese composers of the period. Today, some 240 musical pieces written by Nunes Garcia survive, and at least 170 others are known to have been lost. Most of his compositions are sacred works, but he wrote also some secular pieces, including the opera Le due gemelle and the Tempest Symphony.