Carlos Gomes was born in Campinas, São Paulo State, on 11t July 1836. His parents were the Maestro Manuel José Gomes – called by the nickname of „Maneco músico“ (Musician Maneco) – and Fabiana Maria Jaguari Cardoso. He was just a child when first showed his musical tendency, which was soon stimulated by his father and master as well as by his brother José Pedro de Sant’Ana Gomés, also a Conductor. José Pedro was older than Carlos Gomes being the most dedicated guide and adviser in his brother’s artistic career. He convinced his brother to visit the Court where he gained the protection of the Emperor D.Pedroll. He studied at the Musical Conservatory of Rio de Janeiro and in 1861 had his first success by pedorming his first opera „A Noite do Castelo“, under his own direction. In 1863, he composed his second opera „Joana de Flandres“. These two operas made the Emperor offer him a prize to study in Italy. He stayed in Milan studying at the local Conservatory until 1866 when he graduated as a composer-conductor. He soon became famous within the European artistic world achieving fame with his most notorious opera, „Ó Guarani“, performed in 1870 at the Milan Scala Theater, the theater of the great lyrical spectacles.
Gifted with an exceptional inspiration which equaled him to the greatest composers of the world, he wrote and pedormed many other notable musical plays, such as the operas „Fosca“ (1873) – considered by some critics as his masterpiece „Salvador Rosa“ (1874), „Maria Tudor“ (1878), „O Éscravo“ (1889), „Condor“ (1891) and the symphonic poem „Colombo“ (1892). All his production (including fugues, cantata and dittes, as the famous „Quem Sabe“), is plenty of melodical and exuberant richness following the Italian musical school.
The gratitude to the Emperor, deposed in 1889 prevented him from accepting the invitation of the new Brazilian Governmentt owrite the anthem of the Republic. Economical difficulties forced him to leave Italy and go to Belém do Pará, the State which supported him with great nobility, giving him the direction of the Musical Conservatory. He died in Belém on 16th September 1896. His native town offered him a monument-tomb designed by Rodolfo Bernardelli, at Bento Quirino Square, in the center of the town. His mortal remains were transported by a warship from Belém going to Rio de Janeiro and passing by Santos City, from where they were forwarded to the city of Campinas. There they were buried on 2~ July 1905 at the monument-tomb whose base is made of granite, with the statue of the Maestro in bronze in an attitude of Orchestra Conductor.