Radamés Gnatalli was born in January 27 of 1906, in Porto Alegre city, son of an Italian piano teacher called Alessandro Gnatalli, who loved opera very much and called his children opera character's names (Radames, Aida and Ernani). When he was 6 years old, Radames started to learn with his mother, how to play the piano. His mother, Adelia Fonseca Gnatalli, was piano teacher too.

Since his childhood, Radames showed his musical ability. Once, he was awarded by the Italian Consul in a party, where the boy 9 years old conducted a childish orchestra, with scores composed by himself. 

He entered in the Conservatory at age of 14, and had classes with the teacher Guilherme Fontainha, who after some years was the director of the  Escola Nacional de Música (National School of Music), in Rio de Janeiro. Before got his diploma, he gave a piano recital in Rio, em 1924. Back to Porto Alegre, Radames did his final exam, finishing his course with excellents marks. Still in 1924, contested in the Araujo Viana Prize and deserved the maximum degree. He got the gold medal.

Since 1931 year, Radames Gnatalli dedicated himself to musical composition. He was the conductor of the orchestra of the  Radio Nacional do Rio de Janeiro(National Broadcast), author of 6000 musical arrangements, being considered the best arranger of popular music in Brazil. Played his popular and concert compositions, with a great sucess, around the Europa and USA. 

Of 1963 to 1967, the composer worked in the TV Excelsior; and after until 1986, when felt himself ill, was arranger and conducter in the TV Globo. He died in February 3 of 1988, in Rio de Janeiro.

Radames used the Brazilian musical traditions and the folklore in his work, creating a personal style with some Jazz and Debussy's influences.  His main works are the ten Brazilianas, quartets and trios and 26 concerts -  among them a concert for the piano and orchestra, concerts for the  harp and clarinet and a   Concerto para Harmônica de Boca (Harmonica's Concert), dedicated for Eduardo Nadruz, the Edu da Gaita.

Bibliography:

Grande Enciclopédia Larousse Cultural

Vasco Mariz - Figuras da Música Brasileira Contemporânea
Universidade de Brasília, 1970, segunda edição.

Jornal O Estado de São Paulo - 24 de Novembro de 1985 ( Artigo assinado por Magda de Almeida)

CD Cover -  Arthur Moreira Lima e Amigos: texto de José Carlos Victorello