Born in São Paulo Brazil, the conductor and pianist began his musical studies with the Greek pianist Dikea Calafatas and later studied with the pianist and composer Amaral Vieira. Jorge has a Bachelor’s degree in orchestral conducting from the Sao Paulo State University-UNESP, studying under the guidance of Maestros Abel Rocha, Achille Picchi and Lutero Rodrigues. Jorge Sarmientos currently studies at the Cleveland Institute of Music-CIM, in the master’s degree program in orchestral conducting. He studied under the guidance of Maestro Carl Topilow and now studies with Maestro Vinay Parameswaran. 

 

Mr. Sarmientos first appearance as a conductor was in 2015 with UNESP Academic Orchestra. In February 2017 and 2018, he participated as an active student of the International Conducting Workshop of the Santo Andre Symphony Orchestra, directed by Maestro Abel Rocha, and he also participated as a conductor in the closing concerts of the workshop.

 

In October of 2017, Sarmientos won the first prize of the Eleazar de Carvalho Young Soloists and Conductors Competition. 

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In October 2018, he made an appearance as a guest conductor with the FIAM-FAAM Academic Orchestra in Sao Paulo. In February 2020, he made his first conducting recital at the Cleveland Institute of Music, for the master’s degree program, with a repertoire that included Symphony 101 in D major by Haydn and the Shostakovich Cello Concerto in Eb major. 

In February 2020, Sarmientos made his second Master's recital with a program that included Lyric for Strings by George Walker, Serenade for strings by Dvorák and Appalachian Spring Suite by Aaron Copland.

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Sarmientos attended several conducting masterclasses and festivals with important names of the classical music scene like Louis Langrée, Mélisse Brunet, Andrew Grams, James Ross, Timothy Muffit, Carlos Kalmar and Kenneth Kiesler.

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Jorge Sarmientos is also an accomplished pianist. As a soloist he performed several recitals in concert halls in Sao Paulo, Brazil. As a collaborative pianist, he participated in the production of Mozart's “Die Zauberflote” at the "Fabrica de Óperas" Festival of the Sao Paulo State University-UNESP, under the direction of Maestro Abel Rocha. In December of 2017, he worked as a pianist in the world premiere of the Ópera “Tres Sombreros de Copas” of the Spanish composer Ricardo Llorca, in Sao Paulo. He has also performed with soloists in recitals, auditions and recordings.