Luiz de Moura Castro, who taught piano and inspired students at The Hartt School for more than 40 years, died on April 5 after a long battle with Parkinson’s Disease.
De Moura Castro was born in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, where he made his public debut on the piano at the age of 9. An honors student at the National School of Music of the Federal University and the Lorenzo Fernandez Academy of Music, he continued his studies in Hungary, at the Liszt Academy of Budapest.
At Hartt, where he chaired the piano program for 15 years, de Moura Castro developed a reputation based on unparalleled expertise and deep insight into aptitudes and motivations. Colleagues noted his conviction in the fact that beauty and honesty exist in every note of music, and that it is incumbent upon every artist to discover and make the most of that beauty.
“Luiz was cherished by all who crossed his path. He was truly valued as an educator, coach, and mentor to all came under his guidance,” says Dale A. Merrill, dean and professor of dance at The Hartt School. “Several generations of his students are now virtuosos in their own right, performing and teaching across the world. His tenure helped further the mission of our school both to internal and external audiences.”
De Moura Castro had played in concert halls around the world; in the United States, those venues included Carnegie Hall, the Smithsonian Institute, and the Kennedy Center. His work can also be heard on more than 50 CDs, and he was nominated for a Latin Grammy in 2002.
He was inducted into The Hartt School Hall of Fame Class of 2020–21. And while de Moura Castro's life was music, he left plenty of time to engage with his wife, children, grandchildren, and friends in other at-home, off-hour pursuits.
A memorial concert has been scheduled for Sunday, August 10, at 3 p.m. at the New Britain Museum of American Art.