Almeida, Antonio (Jacques) de
Almeida, Antonio (Jacques) de
Almeida, Antonio (Jacques) de, French conductor of Portuguese-American descent; b. Paris, Jan. 20, 1928; d. Pittsburgh, Feb. 18, 1997. He studied with Alberto Ginastera in Buenos Aires, attended the Mass. Inst. of Technology, received training in theory from Paul Hindemith at Yale Univ. (B.Mus., 1949), and took courses in conducting with Koussevitzky and Bernstein at the Berkshire Music Center in Tanglewood. After serving as a conductor with the Portuguese Radio in Lisbon (1957–60), he was principal conductor of the Stuttgart Phil. (1960–64). He was the principal guest conductor of the Houston Sym. Orch. (1969–71), and then music director of the Nice Phil. (1976–78). In 1993 he became music director of the Moscow Sym. Orch. As a guest conductor, Almeida appeared with many of the world’s major orchs. and opera houses; he also was active in researching and ed. the works of Offenbach.
—Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire