Brazilian Conductor

Joanídia Sodré was a Brazilian music educator, pianist, conductor, and composer. Born in Porto Alegre, her family relocated to Rio de Janeiro when she was four years old. There, she studied piano under the guidance of Alberto Nepomuceno. Later, she graduated from the National Institute of Music, where she studied music with Henrique Oswald, Angelo França, and Francisco Braga.

At just 22 years old, Sodré began her career as a professor of harmony at the National Institute of Music. In 1927, she received a scholarship to study at the National Conservatory in Berlin. Upon returning to Brazil, she founded the Youth Orchestra and became one of the first women to conduct the Brazilian Orquestra da Sociedade de Concertos Sinfônicos.

In 1946, Sodré became the first female director of the National School of Music, which is now part of the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, a position she held until 1967. She also served as vice-chancellor of the University of Brazil and acted as dean for nearly a year.

Joanídia Sodré passed away in Rio de Janeiro, leaving behind a legacy as a trailblazer in Brazilian music education and orchestral conducting.