Rodrigo Camargo’s music is a reflection of his diverse musical tastes and interests. Many of his compositions suggest a “very successful fusion of rock, western classical, and Brazilian music” (NY Concert Review). Being exposed to different musical worlds since the age of seven, he always seeks to embrace these influences in his compositions. Despite not having continuous formal training from childhood, he believes that this musical variety intuitively and naturally shapes his musical and compositional language.
Rodrigo Camargo began his composition studies in 2015 at Rio de Janeiro Federal University (UFRJ), where he graduated in 2020. There, he studied with Marcos Nogueira and Liduino Pitombeira, as well as taking classes with Roberto Macedo, Alexandre Schubert, and Carlos Almada. As a student at UFRJ, he composed and premiered significant works such as O Quarteto (for string quartet, premiered by Quarteto Kalimera) and Prelúdio ao Desconhecido (winner of the Minerva Competition, for wind orchestra, premiered by the UFRJ Wind Orchestra conducted by Marcelo Jardim). In 2019, he had the opportunity to attend the Atlantic Music Festival in the United States, for which he wrote Sextet for Pierrot Ensemble and Percussion, premiered at the festival. After graduating from his bachelor degree, Rodrigo had more important premieres of his music. In 2020, he received the first prize from the jury and the performers’ prize for his piece Hard-bopped Overdrive in the SCAR Composition Competition. The following year, in 2021, it is worth highlighting his debut at the Biennial of Contemporary Brazilian Music, held at Sala Cecilia Meireles in Rio de Janeiro. On that occasion, violinists Tomaz Soares and Luisa de Castro performed his Three Pieces for Two Violins. In April 2022, his piece Sextet was performed at the legendary Carnegie Hall in New York by members of the Constantinides New Music Ensemble. Also in 2022, Rodrigo released his first EP on streaming platforms, 5 Poemas de Fernando Pessoa, featuring soprano Maria Gerk and pianist Gustavo Ballesteros. This work was followed by Two Duos, a brief EP released in February 2023. His opera Emily Somebody premiered in May 2023 in the United States and was awarded Second Place in the American Prize for Opera Composition (College/University division). Another highlight is his Pocket Concerto, for violin and orchestra, premiered by Tomaz Soares and the Orquestra Sinfônica de Barra Mansa, conducted by Anderson Alves at the 25th Biennial of Brazilian Contemporary Music. His second string quartet There Where I’m Not, will be premiered in April by UMKC’s Graduate Fellowship String Quartet as a product of Rodrigo’s residency with the group in 2024-25. His most recent opera Lira dos Enganos will premiere in Brazil in August 2025 as part of FELINI festival. Recently, he was selected as a fellow composer for KC Lyric Opera/ No Divide KC initiative “Come As You Are”, where he was paired with a librettist to work on a new micro opera to be premiered in May 2025. Rodrigo is currently the recipient of National Opera Association’s Dominick Argento Fellowship for Opera Composition.
In the spring of 2023, Rodrigo earned his Master’s degree in Music – Composition – at Louisiana State University, where he studied with Mara Gibson. He also served as the primary instructor for Aural Skills, a class he taught during his two years at LSU. In Fall 2024 Rodrigo started his DMA in Composition at the University of Missouri – Kansas City.
Rodrigo Camargo, composer 