Florentino Dias is Music Director and Regular Conductor of the Rio de Janeiro Philharmonic Orchestra since 1978.
Born in Alagoas State, Northeast of Brazil, Maestro Dias is founder of three Symphony Orchestras in Rio de Janeiro, as follows: the Youth Orchestra of Music School of the Federal Universty; the Symphony Orchestra and Chorus of Rio de Janeiro Federal University; and the Rio de Janeiro Philharmonic Orchestra. He studied with great masters, as for example Eleazar de Carvalho, Francisco Mignone, Robert Wykes and Harold Blumenfeld. Maestro Dias is Professor at the Federal University, where was honoured several times by the Academic Council, and he made his Maester Degree in Conducting at the Washington University.
His academic biography goes from the first step till the top, beggining to play clarinet when he was six yeas old.
Maestro Dias has been invited-conductor of many internacional orchestras, as Summer Festivals in Florida and New York, Versailles Orchestra (France), Rockbidge Simphony (USA), Jelenia Góra Simphony (Poland), Croacia Simphony (Zagreb), Virtuosi di Praga, Cairo Simphony (Egipt), Sanremo Simphony (Italy), Algarve Orchestra (Portugal), La Crosse Simphony, in Wisconsin (USA), etc and, in Brazil, the National Simphony Orchestra, Brazilian Simphony Orchestra and São Paulo State Simphony Orchestra.
He holds many brazilian awards from the University Consil of the Rio de Janeiro University, the title "Rio de Janeiro State Citezen" and the "Gold Baton" (both from the Rio de Janeiro Government), and many Medals, like the Navy Merit Order, indicated by the Ministry of the Navy Pedro Ernesto Merit, Palmares Merit, April 22 Medal (from the Sarah Kubitschek Cultural Association), the Trophy Alagoas Winner from Alagoas State Government, that recently honored him with the Republic Merit Medal Marechal Deodoro da Fonseca (who proclaimed the brazilian republic) in a touching ceremony, because it is the most important Alagoas State prize.
The International Biographic Center and the American Biographic Institute condecorated him with two awards, that were given in his hands by the British Consul (Da Vinci Trophy) and the American Cultural Consul (Presidential Seal of Honor), during an event at the principal Rio de Janeiro Concert Hall. For that reason, the Brazilian Senate conceded to him an "Applause Vote"
He also was invited to be honored at the World Forum in Washington D.C. , when he had the opportunity to present, to representatives of more than 40 countries, a compact DVD where children form a very poor comumity sing with the orchestra.
His principal characteristics are to look for the social inclusion and nature protection. Besides, when overseas, he makes programs always enclosing pieces by brazilian composers.