Originally from Brazil, Matheus Moraes received his Bachelor of Music degree in Trumpet from Rio de Janeiro Federal University, where he studied with David Alves, and moved to Canada in 2017 to further his music education. He has since received Master of Music and Doctor of Musical Arts degrees from the University of British Columbia, under the tutelage of Larry Knopp and Dr. Robert Taylor.

​

Prior to joining the Kitchener-Waterloo Symphony, Matheus held the position of section trumpet with the Thunder Bay Symphony Orchestra, and has performed with some of Canada’s leading orchestras, such as the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, National Arts Center Orchestra, Vancouver Symphony Orchestra, Hamilton Philharmonic Orchestra, Orchestre Symphonique de de Trois-Rivières, Vancouver Metropolitan Orchestra and Surrey City Orchestra, as well as the Brazilian Symphony Orchestra and the Symphony Orchestra of the Rio de Janeiro Municipal Theater.​​

An active performer in chamber music groups, Matheus is Vice-Chair of the Vancouver Brass Collective, founding member of the Vancouver Brass Orchestra, and has performed with several chamber groups in British Columbia and Ontario. He has spent summers with the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra Institute, the National Arts Center Orchestra Mentorship Program, and the National Academy Orchestra, where he received the Most Valuable Player award in 2022.

Program Notes

​​​

Georges Enescu, Legende for Trumpet and Piano

orchestrated by Daniel Warren 2022

World Premiere

While the volume of solo trumpet repertoire cannot compare to some of it’s orchestral brothers and sisters, there are some beautiful gems that cannot be ignored.  It is with this in mind that I set about orchestrating Enescu’s Legende for Trumpet and piano.  The forces here are quite large: 8 woodwinds, 10 brass, two percussion, timpani, harp and strings.

​

The single movement work is somewhat of an elegy, slowly building and receding in energy and intensity with some very demanding solo trumpet work in terms of range and facility. The orchestral parts are equally, if not even more rigorously difficult and the ensemble playing is extremely challenging. After the climax, the orchestra has a short interlude that accelerates and builds in volume to another even higher climax after which the trumpet takes off and blazes till slowly we return to the slow, elegiac opening theme that ends in a sustained muted brass chord.  Such a masterpiece leaves us to wonder why more first rate composers neglected to write more for this magnificent solo instrument.

​

This is the world premiere of this version and I’m thrilled to have the new KWS principal trumpet, Matheus Moraes playing.

Edward Elgar, Serenade for Strings, Adagio

In 1892 Elgar had yet to achieve the public recognition that came to him by the end of the decade. His compositions did not earn him enough to support his wife and daughter; he earned most of his living conducting local musical ensembles and teaching in his native Worcestershire, while continuing to compose. 

Today we perform the slow movement of the Serenade only.  The Serenade was the first of Elgar's compositions with which he professed himself happy. He wrote to a friend about the three movements, "I like 'em (the first thing I ever did)"  This is a beautiful staple in the string repertoire - difficult yet giving a lovely opportunity for the players to really sing on their instruments.

Tibor Polgar, Concertino for Trumpet and Orchestra

Canadian Premiere

TIBOR POLGAR, composer, conductor, pianist, professor of music, writer, was born March 11, 1907 in Budapest, Hungary (and died on August 26, 1993). After graduating from the Ferenc Liszt Academy of Music, where he studied with Zoltán Kodály, he began his career with the Hungarian Radio, first as pianist and accompanist. Shortly afterwards he became the permanent conductor of the Radio Symphony Orchestra, of which he was one of the founders. He later became Head of the Music Department and finally Artistic Director of the Corporation.

​

During the same period of time he was a prolific composer in every field of music from opera, through symphonic works to pop music. He also composed the musical scores for a great number of stage pieces and for more than 200 films, both features and documentaries. His stage pieces have been performed in almost all the important theatres in Hungary, where he also conducted with the Budapest State Opera House. He was honoured for his musical activities in Hungary by twice being awarded The Ferenc Erkel Music Prize for composers, and he also won several prizes for his film music.

​

In the early sixties Polgar conducted the Philharmonia Hungarica for two years. A few years later, in 1964, he and his wife, actress-singer Ilona Nagykovacsi, immigrated to Toronto, where they became citizens in 1969. Polgar's activities since arriving in Canada include: Teaching privately piano and theory of music (1964-74); Conductor of the University of Toronto Symphony Orchestra (1965-66); Teaching in the Royal Conservatory of Music Opera School (1966-68); Working with the Canadian Opera Company (1966-75); Working as a composer and pianist with the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (1966-); Composer of TV commercials (1966-); Associate Director of Music Prologue to the Performing Arts (1975-76); Guest conductor for both the Oshawa and North York Symphony (1972-73); Course Director in orchestration at York University, Toronto (1976-77); Received many commissions as a composer through the Ontario Arts Council.

​

Polgar seems to have a special love for the trumpet.  While in Hungary he wrote this Concertino and had it premiered there and after he moved to Canada he wrote a very challenging work for Trumpet soloist and Concert Band; “Two dances in Latin Rhythm”

​

Today’s performance is the Canadian premiere of this work.

Brahms Symphony no. 2 in D major

After waiting x years for Brahms to finish his monumental 1st symphony, the public had to wait a mere few months for the next one. His reluctance to take up the mantle of Beethoven was gone and he delivered one of his most joyous and resonant works in the symphony no. 2.  Many compare it to Beethoven's ‘pastoral’ symphony.  Full of the sounds of the countryside, Brahms wrote this at a lakeside retreat in Portschach on lake Worth in Austria.

​

The work is in four movements.  Listen for the horns in the opening, reminding us of the sounds of the mountains off in the distance.  Lots of drama in the first two movements giving way to the exuberance and joy in the last two movements which leave us so refreshed and uplifted.