Brazilian-born John Neschling was Artistic and Music Director of the Sao Paulo Symphony Orchestra (Brazil) until 2008. Since 1997, when he accepted the challenge of the Governor of the State of São Paulo to return and rebuild a first quality symphony orchestra of international significance, Mr. Neschling has reinvigorated the orchestra and the cultural community, with spectacular results. In July 1999, he led the orchestra in the inauguration of the new São Paulo Concert Hall, built inside the city's historic Estação Júlio Prestes train station.

Though born in Rio de Janeiro, Mr. Neschling has lived for 20 years in Europe, where he is well known and conducts major opera companies and symphony orchestras. Mr. Neschling was Principal Conductor of the century old Teatro Massimo in Palermo (Italy: 1996-99), and has served in chief artistic capacity at the Lisbon National Theatre (Portugal: 1983-88), St. Gallen (Switzerland: 1990-97), and Opéra de Bordeaux (France: 1996-98). He was also Resident Conductor of the Vienna State Opera (1992-94).

In Europe, his guest symphonic engagements have included the Vienna Symphony, Berlin Radio Orchestra, Accademia di Santa Cecilia (Rome), Orchestra Nazionale della RAI, Tonhalle Orchestra (Zurich), Suisse Romande Orchestra, BBC Symphony Orchestra and Royal Liverpool Philharmonic, among others. Among European opera houses, he has conducted at Zurich and Stuttgart Opera (Die Zauberflöte), Deutsche Oper Berlin (Il Trovatore), Arena di Verona (Macbeth and in 2011 La Bohème), Teatro Reggio in Torino (Wozzeck), Teatro Carlo Felice in Genoa (Don Pasquale, Adelia) and Bonn Opera (Il Guarany), to name but a few. He made his North American opera debut in September 1997 at the Washington Opera with Il Guarany, by Brazilian composer Antonio Carlos Gomes with Placido Domingo in the title role. In April 2000, with the Pittsburgh Symphony, he conducted a program which included the U.S. première of Mr. André Previn's new work, Diversions for Orchestra.

Mr. Neschling's story is a remarkable one: his family tree includes two towering figures of 20th century classical music. He is a grand nephew of both Arnold Schoenberg, the composer, and Arthur Bodanzky, a prominent conductor, particularly in Vienna and New York, in the first half of the twentieth century. Mr. Neschling's music studies began with the piano, where he developed a reputation of a prodigy, but eventually he found his way to conducting and left Brazil for Europe to study with Hans Swarowsky at the Vienna Music Academy, and later attended Tanglewood, where he studied with Leonard Bernstein.).

John Neschling has received the Golden diapason 2009 for the recording of the complete Choros of Villa-Lobos published by Bis

John Neschling also composed and wrote numerous music for films including the one for “The Spider Woman”. Some of them received rewards or were nominated for Oscars.

2012