Josani Pimenta
Projects
Mezzo-soprano Josani Pimenta holds a Ph.D. in Vocal Performance from UNESP – Universidade Estadual Paulista “Júlio de Mesquita Filho,” under the guidance of Professor Martha Herr. She graduated in Conducting and Transverse Flute from UNICAMP – Universidade Estadual de Campinas, where she also obtained a Master of Arts degree in Conducting.
She dedicates herself to researching Brazilian music, editing the songs of Camargo Guarnieri, and promoting Brazilian Portuguese in singing for foreigners. She has performed as a soloist in various concerts in Brazil, Latin America, and Europe.
Josani has participated as a singer in various productions such as The Messiah (G. Haendel), Stabat Mater (G. Pergolesi), Dido and Aeneas (H. Purcell), Gloria (A. Vivaldi), Mass No. 3 (A. Bruckner), Into the Woods (J. Lapine), Liebeslieder Waltzer (J. Brahms), Requiem (W. Mozart), among others.
She has also sung with vocal groups such as Os Mestres Cantores de São Paulo and Capella Paulistana. She participated in the Voice Improvement Course – Integrated Voice Training, promoted by speech therapist Mara Belau (CEV), in 2011.
In 2013, she was a professor at the “9th Barcelona Festival of Song,” where she presented a recital of Brazilian music in homage to composer Camargo Guarnieri. In 2009, she was awarded the “Brazilian Classical Song Interpretation Contest” (São Paulo – SP). Her doctoral thesis “Camargo Guarnieri and Suzanna de Campos – A Study for Interpretation” received the Capes Thesis Award in 2016.
In 2015, she released her first CD with classics of Brazilian Contemporary Christian music. She was a singing professor at the Federal University of Uberlândia and a member of the Psallo Trio, a group specialized in classical repertoire for voice, horn, and piano, which released its album in 2020.
Josani Pimenta is certified by Somatic VoiceWorkTM – The Lovetri Method, Level I (2017).
Josani Pimenta
The Brazilian mezzo-soprano Josani Pimenta received her PhD in Singing from UNESP, State University of São Paulo, Brazil. She graduated in Conducting and Traverse Flute from UNICAMP, University of Campinas, Brazil, from where she also obtained her Masters in Arts, focused on Conducting. Josani focuses her research work on the performance of the Brazilian Art Song, especially on the oeuvre of Camargo Guarnieri, and on the divulgation of the Sung Brazilian Portuguese to non-native
Portuguese speakers. In 2016, her thesis on the Performance of Songs by Camargo Guarnieri won an award from the Brazilian Ministry of Education and Culture. Josani has performed in the Americas and in Europe.
She launched two albums with Brazilian Contemporary Christian Music “Josani Pimenta” in 2015 and “E cantarei a vida…” in 2024 and one album in 2020 “Psallo Trio” displaying pieces for the unique trio, formed by voice, horn and piano.
In 2023 she was a Guest Artist at the Juilliard School of Music in NY, working on the Brazilian Portuguese Pronunciation of the famous Bachiana Brasileira N. 5 by Heitor Villa-Lobos.
Josani Pimenta currently resides in NY, USA.
Doctoral Thesis
Tese de Doutorado
“The Songs of Camargo Guarnieri and Suzanna de Campos: A Study for Interpretation”
In 2015, the mezzo-soprano defended her thesis on the interpretation of Camargo Guarnieri’s songs with texts by Suzanna de Campos. The work received the 2016 Capes Thesis Award as one of the best theses of the year.
In her thesis, Josani analyzes the songs of the Brazilian composer, highlighting the importance of text and its connection to musical aspects such as melody, rhythm, harmony, form, and dynamics.
The researcher edited the studied songs, as many of them were still handwritten, and included phonetic transcriptions and translations of Suzanna de Campos’s poems into English.
Master’s Dissertation
“Heitor Villa-Lobos: Missa São Sebastião and Bendita Sabedoria, a Study for Interpretation”
In her Master’s Dissertation, the singer developed an interpretative guide for two a cappella choral works by the Brazilian composer Heitor Villa-Lobos.
This work has two main objectives. The first is to promote the a cappella choral work of the Brazilian composer Heitor Villa-Lobos through the study of his works: Missa São Sebastião and Bendita Sabedoria. The second objective is to present, through the composer’s two works, a method of studying choral music for conducting students and conductors.
Editorial Work
Camargo Guarnieri
After completing her Doctorate, Josani Pimenta has continued editing Camargo Guarnieri’s songs, as desired by his wife, Vera Guarnieri.
Publications
“Voice: Everything You Wanted to Know About Speech and Singing – Questions and Answers”
During the Integrated Voice Training course, Josani participated in the collective production of the book “Everything You Wanted to Know About Speech and Singing,” a work organized by the Voice Studies Center and its founder, speech therapist Mara Behlau.
“Singing in Brazilian Portuguese:
A Guide to Lyric Diction and Vocal Repertoire”
Josani Pimenta also contributed to the book by American singer and researcher Marcia Porter, as the narrator of words and phrases selected by the author.
Pronunciation of Brazilian Portuguese
The editorial work on Camargo Guarnieri’s songs in her doctoral thesis sparked a desire in the singer to share her knowledge of Brazilian Portuguese pronunciation for foreigners.
The singer developed a YouTube channel, “Brazilian Portuguese Pronunciation,” with video lessons. The lessons aim to provide tools and knowledge of Brazilian Portuguese diction for both speakers and foreign singers.
Podcast "Tonalidades"
In the “Tonalidades” podcast, Josani Pimenta shares playlists and reflections on sacred and classical works. The production is by Artur Mendes/APECOM.
Podcast PodValorizar
Volunteering
Josani has been volunteering with “Grupo Mulheres do Brasil NY”, since 2019. From 2020 to 2023, she worked as the leader of the Arts and Culture Committee, organizing and implementing projects to promote Brazilian culture and assist Brazilian artists in positioning themselves in the North American market.