Henrique Morelenbaum, considered one of Brazil’s most prominent conductors and music directors, died July 29 in Rio de Janeiro. He was 90.

“He was one of the most important personalities in Brazilian musical life over the last 70 years, as an instrumentalist, conductor, teacher and administrator. He left his mark on the institutions where he worked,” read a tribute posted by the Brazilian Academy of Music, of which Morelenbaum was an active member.

Over the course of his career, Morelenbaum conducted symphonic concerts, operas and ballets. As part of his international contemporary repertoire, he was responsible for the Brazilian premiere of Arnold Schoenberg’s “Kol Nidre,” an orchestral piece named after the Yom Kippur payer. He was widely recognized for promoting Brazilian composers abroad.