EMIR SAUL

Emir Saul was born in Buenos Aires in 1956. He studied singing and violin at the Conservatorio Provincial de Musica "Gilardo Gilardi" and went on to study Composition and Orchestral conducting at the Universidad Nacional de la Plata, where he graduated with honours. His teachers were among the most prominent in Argentina: Mario Benzecry (winner of the Dmitri Mitropoulus Prize in New York, where he worked as Leonard Bernstein's Assistant), Guillermo Scarabino, Jackes Pernoo, Guillermo Graetzer (of Hindemith's school) and Gerardo Gandini. In 1979 he began his career as conductor when he founded the Ensamble Musical "La Plata", which he led until the end of 1983, the year in which he founded the Orchestra of the Facultad de Bellas Artes at U.N.L.P. where he also taught conducting.
In 1984 he moved to Tucuman where became resident conductor of the orchestras of the province of Tucuman and the National University. In 1985 he founded the Youth Orchestra at the same University which he conducted until March 1990. From then on, he created and conducted the "Studio Orchestrale Scaligero" at Verona (Italy)
He is invited to the Colon Theatre first as composer (1983, 1984) and then as Conductor (1986 on), beginning so an international carrier that takes him to conduct in England, Germany, USA, Holland, Belgium, Spain, Portugal, Greece, South Korea, Uruguay, Romania and Italy where he actually lives.
As Guest Conductor he has performed with: Royal Philharmonic (London), Estable del Teatro Colon, Buenos Aires Philharmonic, "Haydn" (Bolzano, Italy), State Orchestra of Thessaloniky (Greece), Sheboygen Symphony (USA), Padova and Veneto Orchestra, Seoul Academy Orchestra (Korea), "I Virtuosi Italiani", Sinfonica di San Marino, Kölner Dompapelle, "Oltenia" (Craiova - Romania), Timisoara Opera (Romania), Filarmonica de Montevideo (Uruguay), Sinfonica Nacional (RA), Olympic Theatre of Vicenza, Accademica della Fondazione Toscanini, Valpolicella, Veronese Chamber, the Symphony Orchestras of Mar del Plata, Mendoza, San Juan, Bahia Blanca, Estable del Teatro Argentino and the Chamber Orchestras of La Plata and Mayo.
In 1987 he was invited by the "Amici dell'Opera" of Mar del Plata to conduct the "Barbiere di Siviglia" for the first Argentinean production of an opera entirely financed by private means. In November 1994 he conducted the first italian performance in Korea of Rossini's Opera "La Cenerentola" at the Opera House of the Seoul Arts Centre.
Between 1996 and 1998 he has conducted Aida and Nabucco in tourne performing in important European cities (London, Brussels, Amsterdam, Lisbon...).
On Jannuary 2nd 2000, he conducted de debut concert of the "Thessaloniki Concert Hall", managed by Megaron Foundation. This important event (transmited on the National Network, and on the satelital Network), was followed by the higest national Greek authorities, and European Comunity Cultural rappresentation.
He has a repertory of over 150 works, embracing symphonic music, opera and ballet, including: Beethoven's 9 symphonies, "Aida", "Nabucco", "Traviata", "Trovatore", "Barbiere di Siviglia", Elisir d'Amore, Don Pasquale, Carmina Burana, Don Quixote, Carmen (Bizet-Schiedrin).
He also finds time to devote himself to composition, and his works have been performed by the principal Argentinean orchestras and chamber ensembles. In 1982 his "Pequeña Sinfonia" for string orchestra was awarded a prize at a competition marking the centenary of the Fundacion de La Plata.
Beyond the mentionated Colon Theatre, Thessaloniki Concert Hall and Opera House of the Seoul Arts Centre, he also performed among others in the Teatro dell'Opera di Roma, Teatro Filarmonico di Verona, Teatro Comunale di Modena, Teatro Olimpico di Vicenza and Auditorium de la Cartuja of Sevilla; collaborating with well-known international artists as Natalia Gutman, Pavel Vernikov, Katia Ricciarelli, Cecilia Gasdia, Rocco Filippini, Ana chumachenco e Alberto Lyssy.
He has been guest in important International Festivals as Settembre dell'Accademia, Ravenna Festival, Festival di Portogruaro, '900 ed Oltre (RE) and Septiembre Musical Tucumano.
Audiences and music critics throughout the world have acclaimed his work as conductor and composer.
He actually teaches at the Musical Institute "C.Monteverdi" of Bolzano and is Artistic Director of Amici dela musica del Lago di Garda.