I am delighted that this book celebration the life and work of Fr Áureo de Costa Nunes e Castro, the founder and first Director of the Academia de Música S. Pio X, has been published.

Fr Áureo founded the Academia in 1962 and, for the following 30 years until his death in 1993, worked tirelessly to provide a systematic and comprehensive musical training for the young people in Macao. I believe that this book is a fitting tribute to his achievements. But I would also like to express my gratitude to the late Fr Lancelote Rodrigues, my immediate predecessor as Director, who continued Fr Áureo’s work at the Academia for a further 20 years. Today I am happy to say that the Academia, in its 52nd year, is continuing to contribute to the musical education of the young in Macao.

The book contains contributions from musicians, young and old, who have been associated with Fr Áureo and his music in some way. Much of the information is now only available for the first tie in print, and my sincere thanks go to the Macao Foundation for its generous support and to all those who have been involved in the preparation and publication of this wonderful volume.

Cónego João Evangelista Lau
Director da Acadeia de Música S. Pio X