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Flávio Garcia

Photo courtesy of Brazilian White Center - UNASP.

Garcia, Flávio Araújo (1929–2019)

By The Brazilian White Center – UNASP

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The Brazilian White Center – UNASP is a team of teachers and students at the Brazilian Ellen G. White Research Center – UNASP at the Brazilian Adventist University, Campus Engenheiro, Coelho, SP. The team was supervised by Drs. Adolfo Semo Suárez, Renato Stencel, and Carlos Flávio Teixeira. Bruno Sales Gomes Ferreira provided technical support. The following names are of team members: Adriane Ferrari Silva, Álan Gracioto Alexandre, Allen Jair Urcia Santa Cruz, Camila Chede Amaral Lucena, Camilla Rodrigues Seixas, Daniel Fernandes Teodoro, Danillo Alfredo Rios Junior, Danilo Fauster de Souza, Débora Arana Mayer, Elvis Eli Martins Filho, Felipe Cardoso do Nascimento, Fernanda Nascimento Oliveira, Gabriel Pilon Galvani, Giovana de Castro Vaz, Guilherme Cardoso Ricardo Martins, Gustavo Costa Vieira Novaes, Ingrid Sthéfane Santos Andrade, Isabela Pimenta Gravina, Ivo Ribeiro de Carvalho, Jhoseyr Davison Voos dos Santos, João Lucas Moraes Pereira, Kalline Meira Rocha Santos, Larissa Menegazzo Nunes, Letícia Miola Figueiredo, Luan Alves Cota Mól, Lucas Almeida dos Santos, Lucas Arteaga Aquino, Lucas Dias de Melo, Matheus Brabo Peres, Mayla Magaieski Graepp, Milena Guimarães Silva, Natália Padilha Corrêa, Rafaela Lima Gouvêa, Rogel Maio Nogueira Tavares Filho, Ryan Matheus do Ouro Medeiros, Samara Souza Santos, Sergio Henrique Micael Santos, Suelen Alves de Almeida, Talita Paim Veloso de Castro, Thais Cristina Benedetti, Thaís Caroline de Almeida Lima, Vanessa Stehling Belgd, Victor Alves Pereira, Vinicios Fernandes Alencar, Vinícius Pereira Nascimento, Vitória Regina Boita da Silva, William Edward Timm, Julio Cesar Ribeiro, Ellen Deó Bortolotte, Maria Júlia dos Santos Galvani, Giovana Souto Pereira, Victor Hugo Vaz Storch, and Dinely Luana Pereira.

 

 

First Published: November 13, 2021

Flávio Araújo Garcia was a pastor, teacher, and conductor from Brazil.

Early Years

Flávio Araújo Garcia was born on May 20, 1929, in the district of Brooklin in the city of São Paulo, Brazil. The son of Jerônimo Granero Garcia and Ana Araújo Garcia, he was the brother of Helena and Gilberto.1

Flávio started to develop his musical gift at an early age through contact with religious music at home. At the age of four, he already liked to sing with his mother. Later, he started to sing in duets with his mother and sister. During his childhood, he traveled extensively in the Brazilian territory due to his work of his father, a pioneer pastor and evangelist in Brazil. One of those trips included the move from the interior of São Paulo to the state of Rio Grande do Sul, where Pr. Jerônimo Garcia attended the construction of the Central Church of Porto Alegre while working in the city of Santa Maria. Three years later, the family moved to the northeast of Brazil by ship.2

Brazil College

In 1940 at the age of 11, Flávio returned to his hometown where his father would be a teacher and director of the Brazil College (today UNASP-SP).3 There, he continued his studies and was baptized by his own father in November 1942.4 While still young, Flávio developed the dream of becoming a medical missionary and achieved good grades in the recruiting process. However, he decided to remain true to his principles and did not take the tests for the next stages, which would be conducted on Saturday. Since he had a desire to serve God, he decided to enroll at the Brazil College Theological Seminary.5

After his arrival at the school, he was very involved with music as one of the tenors of the Coral Carlos Gomes. At the age of 19, he received a request that he take charge ofthe choir in place of conductor Walter Wheeler Jr., an activity he performed until March 1949. He graduated in Theology that same year and, after a short period as pastor of churches and schools in the capital of São Paulo, he returned to the Brazil College in order to conduct the choir at Carlos Gomes and teach music classes.6

In the following years, he sought to develop his vocation by studying singing, composition, and conducting; he also completed a postgraduate degree in Art at the University of São Paulo (USP).7 At the Conservatório Dramático e Musical de São Paulo [Dramatic and Musical Conservatory of São Paulo], he came in contact with great musicians and conductors from the capital of São Paulo, among them Professor Sofia Melo Oliveira, from whom he received classes on musical phraseology. This technique studies the composition of musical discourse, giving it specific scores according to the principles of harmony and rhythm. It was applied by conductor Flávio Garcia when coordinating the production of the Adventist hymnal Cantai ao Senhor launched in 1956 and used by Adventist churches in Brazil for over 30 years.8

In 1956, Flávio married Dilza Garcia, a pianist and graduate in Music from the Pontifícia Universidade Católica [Pontifical Catholic University] in the city of Campinas. They had no children, but during their journey, they inspired many young people to take up the Adventist work. The couple, always together, traveled to many states in Brazil, "teaching technical and theological classes on Christian music". Dilza helped develop a hymnbook for children and produced handouts on child and youth evangelization used by missionaries in Africa and Europe.9

In 1957, Flávio took over the direction of the Brazil College musical conservatory, which would later be called the Academia Adventista de Arte [Adventist Art Academy]. Under his management, the buildings of the conservatory and the attached rehearsal rooms were built. There was also investment in the purchase of instruments and the search for quality music education.10

Coral Carlos Gomes [Carlos Gomes Choir]

For 25 years, Flávio Garcia conducted the Coral Carlos Gomes performing several presentations, large and small, in different environments, religious or not. “Always friendly, courteous and dedicated to his work, Flávio maintained a good relationship with the main musicians and conductors in the capital, which made it possible for the choir he conducted to perform in major theaters and cultural rooms in São Paulo and Brazil.”11

The history of the Choir was marked by several significant events during this period. For instance, the choir presented music to the Brazilian authorities such as the president, governors, mayors, academic and cultural groups in several different auditoriums and theaters around the country.

Final Years and Contribution

Flávio Araújo Garcia died on May 7, 2019, at the age of 89, a victim of a myelodysplastic syndrome.12 He dedicated his life to the ministry of music at the UNASP campus São Paulo, contributing to building the history of Adventist music in Brazil. He conducted the Coral Carlos Gomes for 25 years and the ACASP choir for over 30 years. Maestro Garcia “was responsible for crossing religious and denominational boundaries through excellent work in music.” Through its work and good relationships, the name of the Seventh-day Adventist Church was positively represented to government officials, the cultural elite of São Paulo, and churches of other denominations. He exercised his ministry believing that sacred music plays an important role in the advancement of the Adventist work due to its ability to touch hearts and bring people closer to God in difficult times.13

Sources

“A Vida do Maestro Flávio Garcia.” SDA News (Online), June 30, 2019.

“ACASP Institutcional.” October, 2012. Youtube Vídeo, 07:27, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YNfmdw3bifg. Accessed March 27, 2020.

“Ana Araújo Garcia.” Revista Adventista 92, no. 9 (September 1996).

Azevedo, Roberto C. “Instituto Adventista de Ensino,” Revista Adventista 66, no. 4 (April 1971).

Bleck, Gunthier H. “Novas da Colina IAENSE.” Revista Adventista 62, no. 9 (September 1967).

Bleck, Gunthier H. “Novas da Colina IAENSE.” Revista Adventista 63, no. 12 (December 1968).

Campolongo, Alcides. “Como Deixar de Fumar em Cinco Dias.” Revista Adventista 59, no. 9 (September 1964).

Campolongo, Alcides. “Fé Para Hoje’ Comemora 14° Aniversario.” Revista Adventista 72, no. 1 (January 1977).

Campolongo, Alcides. “Inauguração do majestoso templo de Bauru.” Revista Adventista 58, no. 11 (November 1963).

Campolongo, Alcides. “Visita ao governador.” Revista Adventista 59, no. 10 (October 1963).

Casoy, Sergio, Opera em São Paulo, 1952-2005. São Paulo, SP: Editora da USP, 2006.

“Conselho de Música Prepara Regentes.” Revista Adventista 84, no. 5 (May 1988).

“Culto Fúnebre - Pastor e Maestro Flávio Garcia - 07/05/2019.” May, 2019 Youtube video, 1:24:02, broadcast live on May 7, 2019, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0lo4FBb5bsI. Accessed on March 03, 2020.

Eneas, Jael. “Hinário Adventista Completa 100 Anos.” Notícias Adventistas Network (Online), January 20, 2014.

“Memória.” Revista Adventista 144, no. 114 (June 2019).

Pereira, Murilo. “Maestro Incansável.” Revista Adventista 113, no. 1337 (September 2018).

“Programa Festeja Primeiro Aniversário.” Revista Adventista 87, no. 2 (February 1991).

“Resumo de Artigos.” Revista Adventista 60, no. 1 (January 1965).

R. L., “Maestro Adventista Conduz Coral e Orquestra Sinfônica,” Revista Adventista 75, no. 5 (May 1980).

Serafino, Hélio Ítalo. “Novas da Colina IAENSE.” Revista Adventista 27, no. 9 (September 1962).

Seventh-day Adventist Yearbook. Washington, D.C.: Review and Herald Publishing Association, 1941. Accessed March 4, 2020, http://documents.adventistarchives.org/Yearbooks/YB1941.pdf.

Siqueira, J. N. “Novas da Colina IAENSE.” Revista Adventista 60, no. 2 (February 1965).

Siqueira, J. N. “Novas da Colina IAENSE.” Revista Adventista 60, no. 3 (March 1965).

Siqueira, J. N. “Novas da Colina IAENSE.” Revista Adventista 60, no. 6 (July 1965).

Siqueira, J. N. “Novas da Colina IAENSE.” Revista Adventista 60, no. 8 (August 1965).

Siqueira, J. N. “Novas da Colina IAENSE.” Revista Adventista 60, no. 12 (December 1965).

Siqueira, J. N. “Novas da Colina IAENSE.” Revista Adventista 61, no. 1 (January 1966).

Siqueira, J. N. “Novas da Colina IAENSE.” Revista Adventista 61, no. 2 (February 1966).

Siqueira, J. N. “Novas da Colina IAENSE.” Revista Adventista 61, no. 3 (March 1966).

Notes

  1. Murilo Pereira, “Maestro Incansável,” Revista Adventista 113, no. 1337 (September 2018): 48; Joêzer Mendonça, “Vida dedicada à música,” Blog da Revista Adventista, May 07, 2019, accessed March 3, 2020, http://www.revistaadventista.com.br/blog/2019/05/07/vida-dedicada-a-musica/; “Ana Araújo Garcia,” Revista Adventista 92, no. 9 (September 1996): 30; “Flávio Araújo Garcia,” Revista Adventista 144, no. 114 (June 2019): 46; “Culto Fúnebre - Pastor e Maestro Flávio Garcia - 07/05/2019,” May, 2019. Youtube Vídeo, 35:57, broadcast live on May 7, 2019, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0lo4FBb5bsI. Accessed March 3, 2020.

  2. Pereira, “Maestro Incansável,” 48.

  3. Ibid.; “Brazil Junior College,” Seventh-day Adventist Yearbook (Washington, D.C.: Review and herald Publishing Association, 1941), 256.

  4. “Culto Fúnebre - Pastor e Maestro Flávio Garcia - 07/05/2019,” May 2019.

  5. “Flávio Araújo Garcia,” Revista Adventista, 46; Pereira, “Maestro Incansável,” 48.

  6. Ibid.

  7. ‘Flávio Araújo Garcia,” Revista Adventista, 46.

  8. Pereira, “Maestro Incansável,” 48-49; Jael Eneas “Hinário Adventista Completa 100 Anos,” Notícias Adventistas Network, January 20, 2014, Accessed March 26, 2020, https://noticias.adventistas.org/pt/coluna/jael-eneas/hinario-adventista-100-anos/.

  9. Pereira. “Maestro Incansável,” 48; “Flávio Araújo Garcia,” Revista Adventista, 46.

  10. Ibid.

  11. Pereira, “Maestro Incansável,” 49.

  12. “Flávio Araújo Garcia,” Revista Adventista, 46.

  13. Pereira. “Maestro Incansável,” 48; “A Vida do Maestro Flávio Garcia,” SDA News, June 30, 2019, Accessed March 26, 2020, https://iasdnews.com.br/a-vida-do-maestro-flavio-garcia/; Joêzer Mendonça, “Vida dedicada à música,” Blog da Revista Adventista, on May 7, 2019, Accessed March 3, 2020, http://www.revistaadventista.com.br/blog/2019/05/07/vida-dedicada-a-musica/.

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UNASP, The Brazilian White Center –. "Garcia, Flávio Araújo (1929–2019)." Encyclopedia of Seventh-day Adventists. November 13, 2021. Accessed February 18, 2025. https://encyclopedia.adventist.org/article?id=6IE3.

UNASP, The Brazilian White Center –. "Garcia, Flávio Araújo (1929–2019)." Encyclopedia of Seventh-day Adventists. November 13, 2021. Date of access February 18, 2025, https://encyclopedia.adventist.org/article?id=6IE3.

UNASP, The Brazilian White Center – (2021, November 13). Garcia, Flávio Araújo (1929–2019). Encyclopedia of Seventh-day Adventists. Retrieved February 18, 2025, https://encyclopedia.adventist.org/article?id=6IE3.