Francis Hime started to learn classical piano at six. At 16, he went to Lausanne (Switzerland) to further studies, returning to Brazil after João Gilberto's first release, impressed by the new sound. Four years later, Wanda Sá recorded his Sem Mais Adeus (with Vinicius de Moraes). Hime had active participation in the historic festivals of the '60s. In 1965, Elis Regina interpreted his Por Um Amor Maior (with Ruy Guerra) in the I Festival de Música Popular Brasileira/FMPB (Brazilian Popular Music Festival, TV Excelsior, São Paulo); Wilson Simonal presented Maria (with Vinicius de Moraes), in 1966, at the I Festival Internacional da Canção/FIC (International Song Festival, TV Rio); in the next year, Jair Rodrigues interpreted Samba de Maria (with Vinicius de Moraes) at the III Festival de Música Popular Brasileira/FMPB (TV Record, São Paulo), and Cláudia sang Tempo da Flor (with Vinicius de Moraes) and Eu Te Amo, Amor (with Vinicius de Moraes) at the II Festival Internacional da Canção/FIC (Rio de Janeiro). In 1968, Taiguara presented A Grande Ausente (with Paulo César Pinheiro) at the IV Festival de Música Popular Brasileira/FMPB (TV Excelsior, São Paulo), and MPB-4 interpreted Anunciação (with Paulo César Pinheiro) at the III Festival Internacional da Canção/FIC (Rio). Hime was also the musical director for the show Pois É (with Maria Bethânia, Vinicius de Moraes, and Gilberto Gil in 1966) and the next year, he and Dori Caymmi were the music directors of the play +Dura Lex Sed Lex, No Cabelo Só Gumex (Oduvaldo Viana Filho). Departing for the U.S. in 1969, where he studied with Lalo Schifrin, Hime returned in 1973 to record his first LP. Having had intense activity writing music for plays, cinema, and arrangements for top MPB artists, along with his own solo discography and shows, Hime conducted a symphonic orchestra for the first time in 1993 at the Cecília Meirelles Hall (Rio), performing his Sinfonia No. 1. In 2000, his Sinfonia Para o Rio de Janeiro (with Paulo César Pinheiro/Geraldo Carneiro) was presented at the Municipal Theater of Rio de Janeiro. ~ Alvaro Neder, Rovi