Acácio Piedade is a Brazilian-Portuguese composer born in Brazil in 1961. He studied with Almeida Prado, Damiano Cozzella, Conrado Silva and Hans-Joachim Koellreutter and holds a bachelor’s degree in composition. He has a PhD in Anthropology with his research into the music of the Indigenous peoples of the Amazon. He carried out post-doctoral researches at the Paris Sorbonne University and at the Hochschule für Musik Franz Liszt – Weimar. Acácio Piedade is an award-winning composer and his works have been performed at concerts and festivals throughout Latin America and Europe by leading performers, ensembles and orchestras. He is a retired full professor of the Music Department of the State University of Santa Catarina and currently lives in France.

He holds degrees in Physiotherapy and a Licentiate in Music, both from the State University of Santa Catarina (UDESC). He also holds a Bachelor’s degree in Composition and Conducting from the State University of Paraná (UNESPAR) and a postgraduate degree in Humanities from the Pontifical Catholic University of Rio Grande do Sul (PUCRS). He is currently a music professor, working in the areas of Musical Composition, Harmony, Improvisation, Music History, Arrangement, Musical Analysis, and Performance (solo Brazilian guitar). He also teaches courses in acoustic guitar, bass, electric guitar, and college entrance exam preparation.

André holds a Licentiate degree in Arts Education – Music, a Bachelor’s degree in Classical Guitar, and a Master’s degree in Musicology from the State University of Santa Catarina (UDESC). He is a specialist in Choral Conducting from the Adventist University Center of São Paulo (UNASP). As a guitarist, he has performed in the nightlife of Florianópolis with a popular music repertoire; he received the Elisabete Anderle Cultural Incentive Award with the violin and guitar Duo Soler and opened for Duo Siqueira Lima at the Itajaí Guitar Seminar. As a conductor, he has directed various groups, including: the Bankers' Choir, the Santa Catarina Postal Service Choir (Clave Sul), the Catarinense Lyric Choir, and the Angelina Municipal Choir. As a teacher, he has worked in several schools and social projects, such as: Escola Vivência, Colégio Sarapiquá, the Application College – Federal University of Santa Catarina (UFSC), the MUSICAÇÃO Project – BADESC Foundation, ONG Gente Amiga (Morro do Horácio), and CEAFIS (Chico Mendes). Since 2016, he has been a Professor of Basic, Technical, and Technological Education (EBTT) at the Catarinense Federal Institute (IFC).

PhD in Music from the University of Southern Mississippi (USM). During his time in the United States, he served as a graduate assistant in a teaching capacity. In 2013, he was one of 13 guitarists selected to attend the I Master en Interpretación de Guitarra Clásica in Alicante, Spain, where he received guidance from the most renowned guitarists of today: David Russell, Ignacio Rodes, Hopkinson Smith, Roberto Aussel, Manuel Barrueco, Carles Trepat, and Nigel North.

Antônio Carlos Gonçalves Junior was born in São Francisco do Sul (SC) on July 12, 1970. His interest in the acoustic and electric guitar began as a child, influenced by his father, who listened to music that emphasized these instruments and played the guitar as a hobby. In a curious anecdote from his childhood, his father hired a guitar teacher for his older sister; Antônio would watch the lessons with great attention and, once they were over, "run" to grab his father’s guitar to practice everything his sister had learned that day. However, it was only as an adult that Antônio sought formal music education to understand music theory and classical guitar notation. Previously, his learning had been based on observing others and playing by ear. Shortly after his time at music school, he earned a Licentiate degree in Arts, followed by a postgraduate degree in Music Education Methodology. As of late 2025, Antônio is not teaching; he works as a Kiln Operator for a ceramics course in Joinville (SC) while awaiting his appointment as an Arts Professor in Araquari (SC), having recently passed the civil service entrance examination. In 2007 and 2008, he worked as a "musical instructor" in São Francisco do Sul for the Pontos de Cultura project, a socio-cultural initiative of the Federal Government. In 2009, he worked for the Caminhando e Cantando project at the Social Welfare Secretariat, held at the Social Assistance Reference Center (CRAS) in his local neighborhood, Majorca. In the late 1980s, Antônio was invited to play electric guitar for the heavy metal band Necropsia, one of the genre's pioneers in Joinville. He later played in the bands Vomit, Virgo Sacrum, and Impuro. In 1999, he founded Luciferiano, a band that remains active (2025) with three albums released through specialized Brazilian labels. He is also currently a member of Apócrifos and Delírio, both of which have released one album. Delírio is an experimental project with his partner, Patrícia Regina da Cunha (Bia Cunha), with whom he performs frequently across Brazil. In June 2015, Antônio and Bia suffered a severe car accident that incapacitated them for a long period. During the rehabilitation process, an orthopedic surgeon suggested music as a therapeutic alternative to help him cope with the recovery. Despite various motor limitations and difficulties in playing, Antônio—who was a guitar teacher at the time—used his experience to teach Bia the basics of the instrument. This partnership eventually led to their joint musical productions. In his spare time, Antônio enjoys photography; one of his images was awarded in the international Brasília Photo Show (2016/2017 edition). Throughout his life, he has composed just over 20 pieces for solo guitar and some for guitar and flute. He considers this a small number, as most of his compositional work is dedicated to his past and current bands, where he serves as the primary composer. Notably, he individually composed the debut album for Luciferiano, A Face do Cão (2006). That same year, he recorded an independent material titled Refletindo at Estúdio Mug in Joinville, containing simple studies by great historical guitarists along with some original pieces. Most of his guitar compositions explore basic elements in a single key, with the exception of the piece "Violão Voodoo," composed while he was studying the history of the "Diabolus in Musica" (the tritone) banned in the Middle Ages.

Award-winning in festivals and competitions in Brazil, Italy, United States, Estonia, Panama, Finland, Albania, Kosovo, Bulgaria, Romania and Lithuania, the musician from Santa Catarina Bruno Madeira has stood out in recent years as a soloist, teacher and researcher. Bachelor, Master and Doctor of Music from the State University of Campinas, Bruno has performed in exhibitions, seminars, festivals, halls and concert series in Brazil and abroad. Highlights include recitals at Centro Cultural São Paulo and SESC Vila Mariana (São Paulo/SP), Quartas Clássicas - BNDES (Rio de Janeiro/RJ), Palcos Musicais (Londrina/PR), Casa da Música (Porto Alegre/RS), Casa Thomas Jefferson (Brasília/DF), SESC Paço da Liberdade and Museu Guido Viaro (Curitiba/PR), Festival de Música de Ponta Grossa (PR), Seminário de Violão de Itajaí (SC) and Festival de Música Erudita do Espírito Santo (Vitória/ES). He has performed internationally as a soloist in Argentina, Germany, Ecuador, Czech Republic and Slovakia. Bruno has also performed as a chamber musician in various formations, with Lucas Madeira (flute), Ana Carolina Sacco (soprano), Leonardo Feichas (violin) and Samuel Pontes (piano). With these duos, he has performed in the series SESI Música (São Paulo), SESI Música Erudita (São Paulo), SESC Sonoro (Paraná), SESC Caiçuma das Artes (Acre), as well as concerts in Campinas, Vinhedo, Taubaté, Bananal, São José dos Campos (SP), Florianópolis, Itajaí (SC), Itajubá (MG), Buenos Aires and La Plata (Argentina). In 2022 he released his first album, “Colunas” (ProAC/SP), with Latin American music for solo guitar, and in 2025 he will release “Arabescos” (ADS), dedicated to Renaissance, Baroque, Classical and Romantic music. He was the winner of musical interpretation prizes in national and international competitions, among them those of Florence (Italy), Tampere (Finland), Rhode Island (United States), Ciudad de Panamá (Panama), Tallinn (Estonia), Cluj-Napoca (Romania), Plovdiv and Pleven (Bulgaria), Tirana (Albania) and Birštonas (Lithuania). Other highlights include the awards for Best Villa-Lobos Interpreter at the Villa-Lobos National Competition, and first places in the J. S. Bach (São Paulo), Tatuí, Maurício de Oliveira (Vitória), and Fred Schneiter (Rio de Janeiro) competitions. He has articles published in respected national and international congresses and journals, notably research on technical aspects of the guitar and bodily gesture in performance. He was a professor at the State University of Santa Catarina and the Federal University of São Carlos, and is regularly invited to perform concerts, workshops, lectures and masterclasses in festivals, universities and conservatories.

Guitarist in the Blumenau Guitar Quartet since 2015; Guitarist in the Duo Arcanum since 2016; Bassist in the Heavy Metal band “Venus Attack” since 2009; Bassist in the pop-rock band “Necessidade Humana” between 2006 and 2010; and Guitarist in “Duo Ariel,” a classical guitar duo, between 2009 and 2012.

Darcy Villa Verde (1934–2019) was a virtuoso of the Brazilian guitar, recognized by critics as a "behemoth" of the instrument. Having studied under Monina Távora and Oswaldo Soares, Darcy reached the pinnacle of his technique in the 1960s. A fundamental milestone was his time in Paris, where he won the hors-concours trophy at the prestigious International Guitar Competition. During his residence in France, he had the privilege of taking lessons with the legendary guitarist Ida Presti, further refining his style. This phase opened the doors to major European and North American stages; Darcy performed at iconic venues such as Georgetown University and the celebrated Carnegie Hall in New York, in addition to touring Russia. Although he had a long and acclaimed stage career, Darcy left few phonographic records. His only known commercial recording is a 1962 extended play (EP) of popular music. According to guitarist Fábio Zanon, this record is "a model," as it anticipated the style of contemporary guitarists by combining crystalline technique with a vigorous and Brazilian interpretation. Darcy's relationship with Northern Santa Catarina began in September 1973, with a memorable concert at the Sociedade Harmonia Lyra in Joinville. At the time, the local press highlighted his "enviable talent" shortly after his return from the United States and his acclaim in Paris. In April 1993, seeking the tranquility that Rio de Janeiro no longer offered, Darcy took up permanent residence in Joinville to be near his mother, Diva. He lived in the city for nearly a decade, residing in the Glória and Iririú neighborhoods. Unlike many musicians who play until the end of their lives, Darcy Villa Verde made the conscious decision to stop. In April 2000, during a friend's birthday in Joinville, he played his guitar professionally for the last time. After that date, he "hung up the instrument" forever, closing a cycle of decades of absolute dedication to music. Darcy passed away in 2019, but his memory is preserved through historical archives and the recognition of great names in music today. He is remembered not only as a concert artist of impeccable technique but as a trailblazer who brought the classical guitar to the far reaches of Brazil and to the most demanding stages in the world, always maintaining the soul of the Brazilian sound.

Life

Born in Brusque (SC) on March 17, 1928, he began his violin studies at the age of seven with his father, Aldo Krieger—a violinist, composer, conductor, and founder of the local Music Conservatory. He performed violin recitals in various cities starting at age nine. At 15, he moved to Rio de Janeiro on a state government scholarship to continue his studies at the Conservatório Brasileiro de Música. There, he began studying counterpoint, harmony, and composition with H. J. Koellreutter, the German composer and teacher who arrived in Brazil during World War II. In 1948, he was selected through a competition to study with Aaron Copland at the Berkshire Music Center in Massachusetts, USA, where he also attended classes by Darius Milhaud. Subsequently, he spent a year at the Juilliard School of Music in New York, in Peter Mennin's composition class. He also studied violin with William Nowinsky, assistant to Ivan Galamian, at the Henry Street Settlement School of Music. He represented Juilliard at the Symposium of Composers of the United States and Canada held in Boston and performed as a violinist with the Mozart Orchestra of New York. In 1952, he studied with Ernst Krenek at the III International Summer Course in Teresópolis, RJ. As a British Council scholar, he studied in London for a year with Lennox Berkeley at the Royal Academy of Music.

Positions

Upon returning to Brazil in 1950, he began a long-term career as a producer of musical programs for Rádio Ministério da Educação, where he served as musical director and organized the Orquestra Sinfônica Nacional (National Symphony Orchestra). From 1950 to 1952, he worked as a music critic for the newspaper Tribuna da Imprensa. In 1969 and 1970, he organized and directed the Guanabara Music Festivals, which gave rise to the Biennials of Contemporary Brazilian Music starting in 1975. He directed the classical music division of Rádio Jornal do Brasil and served as a music critic for the newspaper Jornal do Brasil. In 1976, he took over the artistic direction of FUNTERJ (Rio de Janeiro Theater Foundation), where he organized the reopening season of the Theatro Municipal and the Inhaúma Theater Production Center. In 1979, he created the Brazilian Musical Memory Project (PRO-MEMUS) within the National Institute of Art of FUNARTE (National Foundation of Arts) under the Ministry of Culture. From 1981 to 1989, he served as the director of the National Institute of Music, and in 1989, he assumed the presidency of FUNARTE. From 2003 to 2006, he served as the president of the Museum of Image and Sound Foundation of Rio de Janeiro. He is a member of the International Commission for the Dissemination of Catalan Culture in Barcelona, Spain, and was a member of the Rio de Janeiro State Council of Culture. In 1998, he was elected president of the Brazilian Academy of Music.

Aesthetic features

His aesthetic evolution moves from the Impressionism of the Improviso for flute (1944) to Serialism with the Trio de Sopros (1945). In 1952, he abandoned Serialism in favor of a deeper exploration of traditional forms and languages, as well as musical themes of a Brazilian character. In 1965, with Variações Elementares, he began a synthesis of his previous experiences, incorporating avant-garde and traditional resources alongside elements absorbed from Brazilian musical culture.

Awards

In 1945, they received the Música Viva Prize for their Woodwind Trio, subsequently joining the Música Viva Group of avant-garde composers alongside Koellreutter, Claudio Santoro, Guerra-Peixe, and Eunice Catunda. In 1955, they obtained the International Peace Prize from the Warsaw Festival and the Rottelini Foundation Prize in Rome. In 1959, they won first prize in the I National Composition Competition established by the Ministry of Education with the Divertimento for Strings, and received the Medal of Honor for the Fiftieth Anniversary of the Theatro Municipal of Rio de Janeiro. In 1961, their String Quartet No. 1 won the National Record Prize. In 1966 and 1967, they obtained Gold Medals at the International Song Festivals in Rio de Janeiro. In 1969 and 1988, they received the Golfinho de Ouro (Golden Dolphin) Trophy for their body of work. They also received: 1977: Holder of the Barriga-Verde Trophy. 1985: Commendation of the Cultural Order from the Ministry of Culture and Fine Arts of Poland. 1986: Anita Garibaldi Cultural Merit Medal, awarded by the State of Santa Catarina. 1994: National Music Prize from the Ministry of Culture. 1997: Cruz e Souza Cultural Merit Medal, conferred by the State Council of Culture of Santa Catarina. 1998: Pedro Ernesto Medal, the highest honor granted by the city of Rio de Janeiro to cultural personalities. In Tokyo, they were honored with a week of tributes, delivering six lectures and having their music—both chamber and symphonic—performed by Japanese musicians. They have also been active as a conductor, primarily of their own works. On December 8, 2011, they received the title of Doctor Honoris Causa from the Federal University of Santa Catarina.

Characteristics of the works

Their catalog includes works for symphonic and chamber orchestra, oratorios, chamber music, works for choir and for solo voices and instruments, as well as incidental scores for theater and cinema. Their compositions have been performed frequently in Brazil and abroad, including by orchestras from Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo, Porto Alegre, Recife, Bahia, Belo Horizonte, Liège, Brussels, Paris, London, Munich, Buenos Aires, Córdoba, New York, Philadelphia, Washington, Cologne, Tokyo, and others.

Main Works

Their production includes the 3 Imagens de Nova Friburgo (1988), for strings and harpsichord; the Romance de Santa Cecilia (1989), for narrator, soprano, children's choir, and orchestra; the Camerata (1991), for 6 instruments; the Concerto for two guitars and strings (1994); the Telas Sonoras (1997) for string quartet; and the Te Deum Puerorum Brasiliae (1997), for children's choir, youth choir, Gregorian choir, brass, and percussion. This last piece was developed using the simultaneous application of three modal systems that contributed to the formation of Brazilian musical culture—Gregorian, Indigenous, and Northeastern—and was composed for the official celebrations of Pope John Paul II's visit to Rio de Janeiro in 1997. The catalog also features the Abertura Solene, commemorating the 200th anniversary of the Portuguese Royal Family's arrival in Brazil; the Passacalha para o novo milênio for orchestra (commissioned by OSESP – 1999); Terra Brasilis, a symphonic panel commissioned by the Ministry of Culture for the 500th anniversary of the Discovery; Passacalha para Fred Schneiter for guitar (2002); Momentos for harpsichord (2002); Pequena Seresta para Bach for solo cello, commissioned by Antonio Meneses (2004); Variações carnavalescas for marimba (2004); Fanfarras modulares for orchestra (2005); Concerto for cello and orchestra (2005, dedicated to Antonio Meneses); and the Suíte Concertante for guitar and orchestra (2005, dedicated to Turíbio Santos)—the latter two composed with the support of the Vitae Arts Fellowships. Furthermore, they composed 4 Imagens de Santa Catarina for string orchestra (2006, commissioned by the Camerata Florianópolis) and Ritmetrias for orchestra (2006, commissioned by the Campos do Jordão International Music Festival, where they served as resident composer). Their most recent production includes Histórias da Ilha, a children's musical (2010), and Trio Tocata (2011) for piano, violin, and cello, dedicated to Trio Aquarius and premiered at the 2011 Biennial of Contemporary Brazilian Music. In 1965, their Variações Elementares premiered at the III Inter-American Music Festival in Washington, and the following year, their Ludus Symphonicus was premiered by the Philadelphia Orchestra at the III Music Festival of Caracas, Venezuela. In Brussels, Belgium, as a guest, they attended the European premiere of their Concerto for two guitars and string orchestra performed by the Duo Assad, and in Cologne, Germany, they conducted the Südwestfalen Philharmonie in a performance of their Canticum Naturale.

Classical Guitarist, professor, and researcher; Master and PhD in Music from UNICAMP, an institution where he also served as a professor and completed his post-doctoral fellowship. He has recorded two solo albums, the first titled Música Paulista para Violão, featuring the premiere recording of the complete works for solo guitar by Brazilian composer Almeida Prado, and the most recent Obras Brasileiras para Violão, premiering works by Sérgio Vasconcellos Corrêa, Milton Nunes, Felipe de Almeida Ribeiro, and Pedro Cameron. He maintains an intense career as a concert artist and researcher, with approaches involving solo and chamber music repertoire, having performed in several Brazilian states. He has acted as a guest at various festivals, conducting concerts, lectures, and masterclasses. Noteworthy is his participation as a jury member for the Koblenz International Guitar Festival Competition in Germany in 2018, 2019, 2023, 2024, and 2025, where he also gave lectures and masterclasses. Currently, he is a professor at the School of Music and Fine Arts of Paraná (State University of Paraná) in Curitiba, teaching and supervising at both undergraduate and graduate levels (Master of Music). He is also a collaborating professor in the Graduate Program in Music at UNICAMP, supervising doctoral research.

He had his first contact with the guitar at six years old. In 1997, while on an exchange program in the United States, he received the Most Outstanding Jazz Soloist award at the Grissom State High School Jazz Festival in Huntsville, earning the opportunity to attend the Jamey Aebersold National Jazz Workshop at Elmhurst University in Chicago. He remained in the United States until, at age 23, he obtained a Master’s degree in Music from Georgia State University (GSU) as a full scholarship recipient. He served as a teaching assistant at the same institution and also had the opportunity to conduct and compose for the GSU Big Band, with which he toured the southern part of the country. He possesses a plurality of culturally diverse influences, carrying in his compositions characteristics of flamenco (especially Paco de Lucía), gypsy jazz, and the Eastern music traditions of Anoushka Shankar, Zakir Hussain, and Avishai Cohen, while also traversing his Brazilian roots through his approach to choro and the influence of Yamandu Costa, another great Brazilian guitarist. His album released in 2020, Uanamasi, brought nu-jazz, hip-hop, rap, and soul music to his amalgam of styles, incorporating the use of samples and vocals—elements not present in his previous releases. Felipe Coelho was honored with the Elisabete Anderle Prize in 2009 by the Santa Catarina Cultural Foundation, the Funarte Popular Music Circuit Prize in 2010, second place in the National Composition Festival in Vinhedo in 2012, and was the winner of the Best Instrumentalist from Santa Catarina category at the Music SC Awards in 2014. As of April 2020, the musician had participated in over 40 music festivals and completed twelve tours with his original works, having performed in Chicago, New York, Shanghai, and Buenos Aires. He has also been invited to perform with various orchestras inside and outside Brazil, most notably the KSU String Orchestra, with which he performed a concert in Atlanta in October 2015.

Born in Tubarão (SC), he began his guitar studies with his father at the age of seven. For six years, he attended classical guitar lessons with Professor Manoel Sipriano, a disciple of Isaías Savio, while teaching himself popular guitar. Although he earned a Bachelor’s degree in Accounting in 1985, he spent little time in that field. He began teaching acoustic and electric guitar and founded a music school in the city of Tubarão, which was active from 1994 to 1996. He developed a rhythmic system for the guitar consisting of graphic representations of popular rhythms for the right hand. He graduated in Music Theory from the Lagunense Conservatory of Music, where he taught popular and classical guitar from 1987 to 2006. In 2001, he was invited to participate in the "Seis Cordas" (Six Strings) Project, which featured Santa Catarina's guitarist-composers and culminated in the recording of a CD produced by Renato Pimentel and sponsored by the Santa Catarina Cultural Foundation. Two of his compositions, titled Valsa e Bolero and Adagio, were part of this project. This event served as a major incentive for him to continue composing. In February 2020, he graduated from the State University of Santa Catarina (UDESC) with a Bachelor’s degree in Music, specializing in guitar. Currently, in addition to teaching popular and classical guitar, he performs in various musical events as a solo musician in recitals, in the "voice and guitar" format, or collaborating with other musicians in night clubs and events throughout the southern region of Santa Catarina.

Guinha Ramires is a multi-instrumentalist, guitarist, composer, and arranger who has lived in Florianópolis since 1982. He is one of the most well-known and recognized cultural figures among art and music enthusiasts and producers in southern Brazil. Guinha was a member of Renato Borghetti's band for ten years. During this period, he participated in tours across Brazil, Europe, and the United States, and contributed to several recordings, some of which included his own compositions. With the singer Elisa, he recorded two CDs, Como o Diabo Gosta and Beijo Manga (the latter recorded in Vienna), and toured Brazil and Europe. At the invitation of Alegre Corrêa, he moved to Vienna, where he lived for eight months. Together, Guinha and Alegre recorded the CD Handmade, released in Europe. Upon returning to Brazil, the band Doutor Cipó was formed. The band performed at music festivals throughout Brazil and toured the SESC circuit in São Paulo and the countryside. The band was invited to perform at the launch of Hermeto Pascoal's book Calendário do Som, an occasion where they shared the stage with the "Maestro" for the first time. He was a member of the Santa Catarina Symphony Orchestra (OSCA), serving as a guitarist and coordinator of the rhythm section. Guinha toured Europe at the invitation of singer Isabel Padovani, winner of the 2005 Visa Award. He directed and arranged three editions of the Acústico Brognoli, held at the CIC Theater (Centro Integrado de Cultura). The first edition (2005) highlighted artists from the island. In the second edition (2006), singer Elza Soares was the special guest (documented on DVD). The third edition (2007) featured a twelve-member band and special appearances by João Bosco and Yamandu Costa (documented on DVD). All editions were critical and public successes. Yamandu Costa recorded Guinha's song "Simpatia" on the CD Tal, released in Japan. In 2008, two tours were conducted in Europe for the CD LAÇADOR (Guinha Ramires, Alegre Corrêa, Alessandro Kramer), the first in April and May and the second in December. Performances were held in Austria, Germany, and Italy. Awarded the Elisabete Anderle Grant from the Santa Catarina Cultural Foundation, he recorded his first solo CD, VINDOURA, featuring eight original themes—one in partnership with Alegre Corrêa and another with Alessandro Kramer (Bêbe). VINDOURA was launched in Florianópolis at the Álvaro de Carvalho Theater in 2011.

Composer, arranger, and musician with a Master’s degree in Music from the Graduate Program in Music at the State University of Santa Catarina (UDESC), as well as a Licentiate degree in Music from the same institution. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Saxophone from the Free University of Music (ULMSP) in São Paulo. From 1980 to 1986, he studied Harmony and Counterpoint under Maestro Ricardo Rizek (Alcântara Machado Faculty of Arts – FAAM - São Paulo). Moving between popular music and so-called "classical music," he has always sought to dismantle such labels, as both have contributed immense technical, aesthetic, and philosophical quality to music. He has performed in various popular music groups as well as in partnerships for flute and guitar recitals or small chamber ensembles. Between 1990 and 1994, he studied saxophone and transverse flute with masters Demétrio Lima (Jazz Sinfônica) and Eduardo Pecci (Municipal Orchestra of São Paulo – OSM), during which time he participated in the ULMSP Big Band. He is a self-taught guitarist—an instrument to which he has been dedicated since 1980 and exclusively since the 2000s—composing for the guitar as well as for various other instruments and ensembles.

Style, technique, and melody. This is Joel Colman. His style is a blend of New Age, World Music, and Celtic Music, traversing Brazilian sounds while utilizing techniques such as hammer-ons, tappings, artificial harmonics, and unconventional guitar tunings.Since 1996, he has dedicated himself to the study of alternative tunings, heavily influenced by Michael Hedges, Preston Reed, Don Ross, Justin King, and Brazilians André Geraissati and Egberto Gismonti. In exploring alternative tunings, he initially worked with $DGDGBD$ and $DADF^sharp AD$. The tunings he most frequently uses today are $DADGAD$, $EADEAE$, and $CGDGAC$.While studying the $DADGAD$ tuning, Joel Colman encountered a new musical universe: Celtic music. From this sonic landscape come guitarists Pierre Bensusan, Tony McManus, Peter Ratzenbeck, and El McMeen, whose technical and melodic influences are visible in his work.In 1997, he recorded the demo CD Terraguar, and in 2001, he participated in the CD SEIS CORDAS, produced by Renato Pimentel, with the songs "Sonho Dourado" in $CGDElat Blat Elat$ tuning and "Moinho" in $G^sharp A^sharp GA^sharp D^sharp$ tuning (from the sixth to the first string). Recognized by Peter Ratzenbeck as one of the most talented musicians of the new generation in Brazil, the Rio Grande do Sul-born musician Joel Colman has a wealth of history to share.He has also dedicated himself to studying and giving private lessons in electric and acoustic guitar, performing solo or with musical groups in his region. In 2001, he was invited to participate in the "SEIS CORDAS" Project, which featured guitarist-composers from Santa Catarina and culminated in the recording of a CD produced by Renato Pimentel of The Magic Place studio and sponsored by the Santa Catarina Cultural Foundation. Two of his compositions, titled "Moinho" and "Sonho Dourado," were part of this project. This event served as a major incentive for him to continue composing.In 2012, Joel Colman performed at the V Itajaí Guitar Seminar, where he also conducted a workshop on the use of different techniques and tunings that he still utilizes today.

Kleber Alexandre holds a Bachelor’s degree in Composition and Conducting from the São Paulo State University (Unesp), where he studied under Villani-Côrtes, Sérgio de Vasconcellos Corrêa, Nilson Lombardi, Edson Zampronha, and Flo Meneses, among others. He studied guitar at the Municipal Music School of São Paulo (EMMSP) with Edelton Gloeden and Everton Gloeden. He also studied improvisation and arrangement with Ulisses Rocha and choro with Francisco Araújo. Kleber Alexandre's compositions have been performed by various concert artists in Brazil and abroad. Among them, Prelúdio is featured on the CD Music for Guitar by Brazilian Young Composers, recorded by concert guitarist Gilson Antunes. In addition to compositions for guitar and various other instruments, Kleber Alexandre also composes songs and soundtracks. Notable among his works is the CD Santa Catarina, recorded by the Camerata Florianópolis, featuring his compositions for string orchestra. The musician is a guitar instructor at the art workshops of the Department of Artistic Culture (DAC/Secarte/UFSC). The guitar course is one of the workshops offered semiannually to the community.

He is a teacher, classical and electric guitarist, arranger, and composer. He began his classical guitar studies at the age of 16 under the guidance of Professor Rove Bichels and, in 2004, earned a Licentiate degree in Music from the State University of Santa Catarina (UDESC). Since 2011, he has served as a tenured professor in the Music Education Program of Palhoça, where he teaches choral singing and guitar. Currently, he is the conductor of the Palhoça Municipal School System Choir (COMEP), the Palhoça Municipal School System Guitar Orchestra (OVMEP), and the Palhoça Municipal School System Symphony Orchestra (OSMEP). Parallel to these roles, he maintains an intense schedule as a professional musician in bands across the Greater Florianópolis region, with a particular focus on his original work with the band "Miragem de Júpiter." His interest in composition emerged in childhood, driven by a curiosity to understand the fundamentals of musical discourse and the mechanisms that provide meaning and expression to the organization of sounds. His work reflects a diverse range of influences.

Leandro Fortes was born in Criciúma (SC) and moved to the capital of Santa Catarina in 2001 to study at the State University of Santa Catarina (UDESC), where he graduated with a Licentiate degree in Music in 2007. He has been active as an instrumentalist, composer, and educator for over 20 years and currently resides in the capital of São Paulo, where he performs alongside artists such as Rogério Bottermaio, Adriana Godoy, Nathanael Sousa, Carlos Ribeiro, Janayna Pereira, Vera Figueiredo, and Daniel Pezin, among others. Throughout his career, he has shared the stage with great names in music, including Vinícius Dorin, André Mehmari, Izabel Padovani, Gabriel Grossi, Davy Mooney, Gina Roche, and the legendary Les Paul. He has received several awards, such as Rumos Itaú Cultural, FUNARTE, MINC, and Elisabete Anderle. Recently, he released his second original work titled Diagonal, which was selected for the 2019 SESC Music Circuit and which, according to pianist Fábio Torres, "attained a rare maturity and created original sounds by exploring timbres and counterpoints." In 2019, he presented improvisation workshops at the Federal University of São João Del Rei and the University of São Paulo (Ribeirão Preto campus). For five years, he served as the musical director for the dance group Cia Trupe Toe, with whom he performed at the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago. He had five compositions premiered and recorded by the UDESC Academic Orchestra. In 2015, he toured with the project "Afetos, Música e Poesia" (Affections, Music, and Poetry) alongside the Santa Catarina String Quintet and soprano Marília Oliveira, who performed his compositions based on the poems of Cruz e Souza. He served as the artistic coordinator for both editions of the Brazilian Musical Improvisation Seminar and composed three soundtracks for documentaries and dance performances. Fortes has performed in the cities of New York, Philadelphia, Chicago, and Lima, and in 2012, he recorded his first album under his own name, which features a participation by the iconic Hermeto Pascoal.

Brazilian guitarist Luiz Mantovani has built a thriving international career that successfully combines performance, teaching, and research. In 2002 he won the Pro Musicis International Award, leading to solo recitals at prestigious venues like Carnegie Hall in New York and Salle Cortot in Paris, among others. On one of these occasions, The New York Times praised his rendition of William Walton's Five Bagatelles as "powerful, beautifully delineated and just about flawless". A keen chamber musician, Mantovani was a member of the Brazilian Guitar Quartet for 11 years, with whom he was awarded the 2011 Latin Grammy for the album BGQ plays Villa-Lobos. His output also includes albums on the Delos (USA) and Stradivarius (Italy) labels. Luiz Mantovani holds a PhD from the Royal College of Music in London, where he investigated the chamber sonatas of Viennese composer Ferdinand Rebay. Regarded as a leading expert on Rebay, his publications include an entry in Grove Music Online and several articles in peer-reviewed journals. He recently received the Best Paper Award 2022 from Musicologica Austriaca, the journal of the Austrian Musicological Society. Mantovani was the first guitarist to receive the prestigious Artist Diploma from the New England Conservatory of Music in Boston. He also holds a Master of Music degree from NEC and a Bachelor of Music degree from the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro. His guitar mentors were David Leisner, Nicolas Barros, and Antonio Guedes. Since 2003, Luiz Mantovani has been a faculty member at the State University of Santa Catarina – UDESC, in Florianopolis, southern Brazil. In addition to university teaching, Luiz is frequently invited to conduct masterclasses and deliver lectures internationally.

Mailon Bugmann’s artistic and pedagogical trajectory is marked by a deep dedication to the classical guitar and music education in Santa Catarina—paths that began to cross when he took his first steps with the instrument at age 11. His solid academic background began in 1999 when he entered the Regional University of Blumenau (FURB), graduating in 2003 with a degree in Arts specializing in Music. During this period and in subsequent years, Bugmann sought rigorous technical improvement, studying transverse flute with Leandro Gaertner and consolidating his guitar technique under the guidance of Renato Mor at the prestigious Carlos Gomes Theater, in addition to receiving tutoring from the renowned guitarist Marcus Llerena in Joinville. His pursuit of excellence led him to participate in various courses and masterclasses with leading figures on the world stage, such as Marco Pereira, Luis Mantovani, Ulisses Rocha, and international artists Carlos Perez, Enric Madriguera, and Juan Francisco Ortiz—experiences that shaped his identity as both a performer and educator. In the realm of performance, his work in chamber groups was fundamental to the regional cultural scene; he was a member of the FURB Guitar Camerata for seven years and the Quarteto Blumenauense de Violões, with whom he released the CD Música Brasileira in 2016. This album, directed by Tadeu do Amaral—a member of the award-winning Brazilian Guitar Quartet—and supported by the Blumenau Municipal Cultural Support Fund, became an important record of his artistic maturity. Beyond the quartet, Mailon collaborated on various duo projects with William Pofahl and participated in the Orquestra Seis por Oito de Violões in Joinville. His artistic versatility also extended to the performing arts, where he served as a musical director for theater, receiving several national awards for sound design for his ability to translate dramatic narratives into sonic textures. Parallel to his stage career, Mailon Bugmann has built a significant legacy in music education, an activity he has practiced uninterruptedly since 2001. His teaching experience spans relevant institutions, including stints at the Blumenau Cultural Foundation, the Municipal Secretariat of Education, and schools such as FreeStudio and Monteiro Lobato. Notably, he dedicated twelve years of his career to Sesc Blumenau between 2008 and 2020, establishing himself as a key figure in the training of new musicians and the dissemination of the classical guitar in the region. His biography is, therefore, a portrait of a musician who unites the rigor of classical technique with the sensitivity of Brazilian music, always committed to the democratization of musical knowledge.

Marco Antonio Cardozo Jr. was born in the city of São Paulo (SP) in 1970, and at the age of nine, moved with his family to São José (SC), the city where he resides to this day. He has worked as a professional musician for 29 years, having performed and recorded with bands of various styles, as well as working in musical and artistic production. Currently, he conducts workshops on the guitar and the evolution of electronics, dedicates himself to studying the drums and composing for electric guitar in the blues style, and is planning the future recording of several pieces as singles, alongside his continued compositions for the acoustic guitar. His musical activities also include teaching both acoustic and electric guitar. His musical influences are quite broad, encompassing the repertoire of the concert guitar, Brazilian popular guitar, and blues, jazz, and rock electric guitar. His primary objective is the composition of studies for technical development, resulting in a compilation of exclusive pieces for the instrument that feature characteristics of short and/or minimalist pieces without the use of traditional forms as a compositional structure. Another facet of his original repertoire includes dozens of songs and instrumental pieces for steel-string and electric guitar in blues and surf music styles. Some of these pieces are utilized in his guitar and electric guitar lessons at the school he directs. Marco attended several music courses, including: Blues Guitar with Cristiano Ferreira at the Fábrica de Sons Music School in São José; Classical Guitar with Flavio Apro (via Skype); the "Fundamentals of Guitar Technique" course with André de Moura (UDESC); Guitar Repertoire with André Franzoni at the Fábrica de Sons Music School; Classical Guitar with Kleber Alexandre in Florianópolis; Functional Harmony with Glauco Valença in São José; Soprano Saxophone at the Philharmonic Musical Society of Florianópolis with Maestro Daniel; and Musical Theory at the Order of Musicians of Brazil (OMB) in Florianópolis. It was during the period when Marco performed with his father, Marquinho “Paulista,” that he began composing songs and studies, some of which were performed by the composer himself in recitals and popular shows. Notable works include the song “Boogie da T.P.M. versão No. 2,” performed by singer Duda Wagenführ (who co-authored the second part of the lyrics); the song “Se toque,” written for the rock band Da Caverna; and the instrumental piece “Passando a guarda,” written for the surf music project Los Pedreiros Surfers (formed by his music students), in addition to pieces recorded by concert guitarist Andrei Uller. Marco also recorded a demo cassette tape featuring four experimental pieces using open tunings, such as the instrumental “Dedo no gargalo,” featuring his father on drums and his brother Adriano on electric bass. Professionally, he performed with his father in the ballroom band Via Brazil, as well as in the rock bands Grande Pássaro and Duda Wagenführ & Cia do Rock, eventually beginning his career as a music teacher. Marco began his musical studies at the Escola Funcional de Música in Florianópolis (studying under pianist Dalner Barbi, a guitar student of Ricardo Boppré), where he dedicated four years to the study of classical guitar. He also took private lessons with Dalner Barbi. During this period, in addition to studying the guitar, Marco began teaching himself the electric guitar, supported by Ralph Denyer's The Guitar Handbook and researching rock and blues repertoire—heavily influenced by Daniel Mazza, a friend of his father—and practiced the music he learned with his brothers, who are also musicians. Having grown up in a family of musicians, music has always been part of his life. As a child, Marco accompanied his father (a professional drummer) to rehearsals, shows, and recordings. Drums provided his first contact with music; he studied drum rudiments with his father, inspired by the Gene Krupa method from the late 1930s (of which his father was a fan). However, at fourteen, Marco decided he wanted to learn the guitar and become part of the musical universe he had experienced since boyhood.

Multi-instrumentalist and composer, he demonstrated an early interest in various aspects of musical practice, leading him to dedicate himself with equal energy to the guitar, violin and viola, composition, musicological research, orchestral conducting, and the performance of early music on period instruments (vihuela, Renaissance guitar, lute, Baroque guitar, early Romantic guitar, terz guitar, and mandolin). As a soloist, he has performed in numerous cities across several Brazilian states, Argentina, Uruguay, Paraguay, Peru, Spain, Portugal, and France, offering recitals, masterclasses, and lectures at festivals, seminars, concert series, conservatories, and universities—being especially sought after for his performances of 19th-century music on the Romantic guitar. He has also performed as a soloist with orchestras, string quartets and quintets, chamber music ensembles, and choirs in Brazil and Argentina. Dalmacio has premiered several works, including his own compositions, and has established a frequent collaboration with composer Jaime Zenamon, whose numerous works for guitar and orchestra or instrumental ensembles he has performed. He has also commissioned and premiered works dedicated to him, such as Dakarai, Opus 185, for guitar and string quintet, and To Brazil and Bach, Opus 193, for guitar and harpsichord, among others. Also active as a composer, he has had several works premiered in various countries, in addition to performing concerts entirely dedicated to his chamber music. His production ranges from works for solo instruments to chamber music for various combinations, choral and orchestral works, as well as numerous orchestrations and arrangements for different ensembles. As a researcher and writer, he has published reviews and articles, most notably his book A sonata para violão na Viena de Beethoven e Schubert (The Guitar Sonata in the Vienna of Beethoven and Schubert), based on his master's thesis. The book is considered by critics to be a fundamental reference on the subject and features a preface by the internationally renowned guitarist Fabio Zanon. In the field of chamber music, he forms the Duo Cor dos Ventos with flutist Cristian Faig; in addition to the traditional repertoire for this combination, they utilize historical instruments for the interpretation of early music. His discography includes the album Cordas de Acordo, recorded by Duo Brar (2008); the world premiere and first CD recording of Symphony of Good by Brazilian composer Jean Goldenbaum, recorded in São Paulo (2010); his first solo CD, Ricercare (2015), in which he interprets five centuries of music history using seven different instruments; and Hidden Masterpieces (2018), recorded by Duo Cor dos Ventos, dedicated to 19th-century chamber music for flute, guitar, violin, and horn. In addition to these works, he has produced a vast corpus of digital recordings available on various streaming platforms. He has been the Artistic Director and violinist of the Orquestra de Cordas da Ilha (Florianópolis, Santa Catarina, Brazil) for over ten years, an ensemble that has gained national recognition for its cultural contribution, presenting programs dedicated primarily to the revival of little-known composers from the Baroque period to the present day, and responsible for numerous premieres and first auditions in Brazil. Dalmacio is also the Artistic Director of the Balneário Camboriú International Guitar Festival and the founder, Conductor, and Artistic Director of the Orquestra Andante in Balneário Camboriú, with which he has performed concert cycles at the city's theater since 2022. Marcos Pablo Dalmacio was born in Argentina and has been based in Brazil since 2005. He holds a Master’s degree in Music from the State University of Santa Catarina (UDESC) in the field of musicology, with the thesis "The guitar sonata in the Vienna of Beethoven and Schubert." He holds the titles of Professor of Guitar from the Conservatório Isaías Orbe de Tandil and Superior Professor of Guitar from the Conservatório Luis Gianneo de Mar del Plata, both in the province of Buenos Aires, Argentina. He has been awarded several scholarships: Santa María de la Armonía (Mar del Plata) for summer courses in guitar, violin, and musical phenomenology; Fundación Antorchas (Buenos Aires) for advanced studies in early music with Miguel de Olaso; the CAPES scholarship (Brazil) during his graduate studies; and a scholarship from the Universidad de Santiago de Compostela (Spain, 2013) to participate as a guitarist in international music courses.

Ney Souza is a guitarist, arranger, and composer from Santa Catarina. For 15 years, he has been active in the universe of Brazilian instrumental music, performing across various regions of Brazil and the world as both an accompanist and soloist. He serves as a musical director for original projects in Santa Catarina, collaborates with renowned artists, and performs alongside great instrumentalists, including Yamandu Costa, Iara Ferreira, Caetano Brasil, Arismar do Espírito Santo, Maurício Carrilho, and Alessandro Penezzi. In 2024, he launched his project “Aconcagua” alongside Peruvian singer Nicole Ruju, featuring a repertoire that celebrates the richness of Latin American music, available on all digital platforms. Ney also presents Itajahy, his debut solo guitar album, which combines original compositions with a unique visual experience portraying the city of Itajaí. Furthermore, the musician dedicates himself to music education through pedagogical projects. He is the creator of the “Oficina de Choro: Patrimônio Cultural” (Choro Workshop: Cultural Heritage), which explores the rich history of choro, its composers, and musical appreciation.

Composer, instrumentalist, and singer, he began his classical guitar studies with Artur Battisti Filho at the Centro Integrado de Cultura in Florianópolis (1989-90). Subsequently, he took guitar and harmony lessons with Roberto Resende (1991-1993). In 1992, he was awarded in classical guitar at the Concurso Jovens Intérpretes in Curitiba-PR. He has participated in several workshops and masterclasses and holds a degree in music (Bachelor’s in Guitar) from UDESC, where he studied from 2006 to 2009 under the guidance of André Moura. He founded the Terra Brasilis duo alongside Edson Castel in 1996, with whom he participated in the "SEIS CORDAS" project—a representative collection of guitar production from Santa Catarina (2000). He received the first prize at the 2001 MPB Londrina Festival in the Instrumental Music category with the composition Cristal. In 2003, joining the duo with singer-songwriter Jorge Gibbon, he released the CD Caminhos Cruzados. In 2011, he performed as a concert artist at the IV Itajaí Guitar Seminar, opening the concert for the duo Paulo Bellinati and Weber Lopes. As a member of the group Cravo-da-Terra, he released a self-titled CD in 2005 and recorded and released the CD Infinito Som in 2007 and 2008. He participated as a guest in the Prata da Casa project at SESC Pompéia and completed a tour across Brazil in 2006, performing in cities such as Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo, Salvador, and Brasília. He was also part of the Rumos Itaú Cultural (2007/2009 edition)—a program that selected 58 musical works from across Brazil to map the country's regional musical production—as well as the Acorde Brasileiro (National Meeting of Regional Music) in 2008, among many other events. With Isabelle Quimper, a Canadian singer-songwriter from Québec, he created the poetic song performance Fille Faille en deux mouvements. He participated in the I UFSC Music Festival, with a live CD and DVD recording, and presented music from Québec at the Rodin Museum in Salvador, Bahia, at the invitation of ABECAN (Brazilian Association of Canadian Studies). For over 10 years, he has performed French and Québécois songs across Brazil and Canada. As a singer, he has participated in choirs, masses, and madrigals, performed his original songs in Québec, and explored the creative universe of vocal improvisation, conducting workshops on spontaneous singing and Circle Singing. Otávio Rosa has an original repertoire for solo guitar, and two of his compositions, Fazenda Norte and Eucaliptos ao Vento, are recorded on the CDs Violão Catarinense (Guitar Music from Santa Catarina), volumes I (2012) and II (2019), by Andrei Uller, featuring works by Edino Krieger, Ricardo Boppré, and others, representing the guitar production of Santa Catarina.

Pablo de Mello Heredia is a conductor, guitarist, composer, and teacher with a career dedicated to both classical and popular music. He began his classical guitar studies at the age of 10 through private lessons. At 16, he enrolled in the Licentiate in Music program at FURB, where he joined the Guitar Camerata and participated in an album recording in 2010. In 2015, he released Soturno, an original album featuring pieces for solo guitar and other ensembles, made possible by an award from the LIC grant in Balneário Camboriú. Continuing his original production, he released the singles Suíte da Morte e do Renascimento (2019) and Betina (2020). In 2024, he released the album Alforria e Outras Liberdades, also supported by the LIC grant of Balneário Camboriú. In 2018, he founded the Balneário Camboriú Guitar Camerata, currently known as the Camerata de Violões Rio Allegro, where he serves as a teacher and conductor. In 2023, he completed a postgraduate degree in Conducting from FACEC. The following year, in 2024, he co-founded the Círculo Violonístico Catarinense alongside Marcos Pablo Dalmacio and Cristo Miguel de la Cruz, with the goal of promoting musical exchange and the development of the guitar within the state. As a concert artist, he has performed in various regions, both as a soloist and in chamber music ensembles. As a teacher, he gives lessons in classical and popular guitar, in addition to teaching ensemble practices, chamber music, and popular bands. In composition and arrangement, his primary focus is chamber music. He studied composition with Marcos Pablo Dalmacio and Alberto Heller, and refined his guitar technique under the guidance of Renato Mór, Marcos Pablo Dalmacio, Marcus Llerena, and Alvaro Henrique.

Born in Blumenau (1980), Rafael Marciniak is a concert artist and researcher. He situates his current original work within Brazilian Instrumental Music, strongly inspired by contemporary aesthetic traits of his region of origin—a facet he combines with his role as a performer supported by a select repertoire for Flamenco Guitar, among other styles. In this specialty, he graduated in Music with a specialization in Flamenco (Flamenco Guitar) from the Conservatório Superior de Música Rafael Orozco de Córdoba. Shortly thereafter, while still in Spain, he earned a Master’s degree in Ethnomusicology, also focused on Flamenco, from ESMUC (Barcelona). In 2023, his research was one of twelve selected for the program of "CIUTAT FLAMENCO – V Congreso Internacional de Flamencología y Pedagogía Flamenca" (Barcelona), one of the segment's premier events, a feat he repeated in 2025 for the VII° ISMMS (Seville, Spain). Winner of the I° Prêmio Herbert Holetz (FCBLU, 2019), he produced his first original work titled Hi-Fi (2020), which garnered interest and positive mentions from both the public and specialized critics. In 2020, his recital Guitarra Flamenca was one of four concerts selected for the FIK Festival (Ceart/UDESC – Florianópolis, SC), where he performed the opening recital. That same year, he twice received the Artistic Career Award through the "Aldir Blanc" Cultural Incentive Law. He has worked professionally as a musician for over two decades, performing as a soloist and interpreter of Flamenco Guitar and guitar music, in addition to having integrated musical groups and dance companies in Brazil and Spain. He has also served as an Instructor (Instituto Cervantes and Assoc. Cultural Arte.Dança, Florianópolis-SC) and Researcher, contributing to the website flamencópolis.com, organized by the exceptional Spanish musicologist Faustino Nuñez. In his music, he seeks a sober and intimate format that highlights his taste for high-performance solo instrumentation, along with a dedication to quality, fidelity, and the natural sonic purity of the instrument. As a composer, he subjects the natural characteristics of the Flamenco Guitar to the expressive needs of his own work. As a performer, he is noted for inspired versions of works by leading exponents of flamenco music such as Gerardo Nuñez, Manolo Sanlúcar, Cañizares, Vicente Amigo, Paco Peña, Sabicas, Ramón Montoya, Niño Ricardo, and Juan Ramón Caro. He began to seriously pursue the study of guitar music at age 13. Shortly after, he became a scholarship student at the Teatro Carlos Gomes (Classical Guitar, under the guidance of Professor Renato Mor-UFRGS), also studying Singing, Harmony, and Counterpoint. He settled in Europe in 1999, residing in several countries including Germany, France, Hungary, Romania, and Spain—countries to which he immigrated out of interest in their indigenous music and how it relates to Romani expressions. He holds a background in "Jazz Combo/Big Band and Contemporary Music" from the Conservatoire à Rayonnement Régional d'Amiens, France. In that country, he also attended various training events at the celebrated ATLA School (Paris), including private lessons and workshops with Sylvain Luc, Romane, Claude Worms, Alain Faucher, and Roland Dyens. Other musicians and theorists with whom he has studied include Gerardo Núnez, Manolo Sanlúcar, José Antonio Rodriguez, Emilio Maya, Miguel Ochando, Faustino Nuñez, Felix Grande, Hubert Kappel, Badi Assad, Ferenc Snétberguer, and Costas Cotsiolis.

Master of Education from the Regional University of Blumenau (FURB, 2005). Bachelor’s degree in Guitar from the Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS, 1995). A faculty member at the Regional University of Blumenau since 2005, teaching the courses Instrumental Practice (Elective), Musical Practice, Music Theory, Musical Perception and Reading, Counterpoint, and Musical Genres and Forms. He serves as the Coordinator of the Collegiate Body and Chair of the Structured Faculty Nucleus for the Music program. Since 2000, he has coordinated the extension project Camerata de Violões da FURB. He is a member of the Mental Health Nucleus team of the institutional program Technological Incubator of Popular Cooperatives, where he conducts guitar workshops for users of the Psychosocial Care Center of Blumenau. He has performed as a guitarist in solo recitals, chamber music, and as a soloist in orchestral concerts in Blumenau and the Middle Itajaí Valley region. He also performs as a popular musician—vocals and guitar—with an emphasis on international pop rock.

Born in Tubarão, Santa Catarina, on February 5, 1953, he dedicated himself to the art of the guitar from an early age. By age 13, he was already showing an interest in serenades and guitar scores. At 18, he moved to the state capital, where he joined the Florianópolis Choral Association. Having graduated in Pedagogy and Law, Ricardo always found space to express himself musically. Self-taught by excellence, he sought to be as eclectic as possible in his guitar studies regarding the choice of repertoire, aiming to encompass music by Beethoven, Chopin, Bach, Ernesto Nazareth, Pixinguinha, Tom Jobim, and many others. Through this, he seeks to demonstrate that the guitar is present in all styles, from classical to popular. In 1980, he was crowned winner of the I Concurso Universitário para Violão (I University Guitar Competition) and also of the Programa de Incentivo à Criação de Pequenos Conjuntos Musicais (Incentive Program for the Creation of Small Musical Ensembles), both of which led to the recording of his first LP, O Violão em Duas Dimensões (The Guitar in Two Dimensions). He was the first guitarist from Santa Catarina to have his work recorded on vinyl. That same year, he founded the guitar course at the Federal University of Santa Catarina (UFSC), where he trained numerous students. In 1985, he established the same course at the Santa Catarina Cultural Foundation (FCC). In 1982, his second LP, Violão, Violão & Violão, definitively introduced his art to the musical scene of Santa Catarina. In 1985, his third LP, O Universo do Violão (The Universe of the Guitar), further consolidated his musical career. Alongside this, he has consistently performed in theaters and on television, while helping to train many students through the guitar courses he taught at the Federal University and the Centro Integrado de Cultura (CIC) of the Santa Catarina Cultural Foundation. Currently, in the maturity of his art and technique, he also dedicates himself to musical composition and the arrangement of Brazilian popular and classical music for guitar and piano. This work involves the use of music notation software for this purpose. In the fullness of this artistic activity, he created a website where his entire collection is available to internet users. In addition to his work as a composer, some of his pieces have been recorded by the composer himself as well as by other performers. His works cover a wide variety of musical genres, including pieces such as boleros, sambas, sambas-canção, xotes, baiões, and several series of guitar studies, among many others.

Ricardo Pauletti is a guitarist, composer, and researcher. He studied classical guitar in Brazil and Spain and later began dedicating himself to choro and the 7-string guitar, working across the boundaries between popular and classical music. He holds a degree in Music from UNIVALI (University of the Vale do Itajaí) and a Master’s degree in Music from UDESC (State University of Santa Catarina), where he is currently completing his Doctorate in creative processes. His discography includes Variações Brasileiras (2011), Choro de Faia (2014), Ricardo Pauletti Trio (2015), Palavra da Canção (2018), Ritual das Cordas (2021), and 10 Peças de Estudo para Violão Brasileiro (2021). With the album Choro de Faia, he received the Best of Brazilian Music 2014 award in the Best Instrumentalists category and was a finalist for the 2015 Santa Catarina Music Awards. With the album Ritual das Cordas, he was a finalist for the 2023 Brazilian Music Awards. Pauletti has performed in various cities across Brazil, Latin America, and Europe, in prominent venues, institutions, and festivals such as the Club du Choro de Paris (France, 2013 and 2014), Bordeaux Choro Week (France, 2014), Teatro La Casa Del Poeta (Argentina, 2014), São Bento do Sul Guitar Festival (Brazil, 2014), Itajaí Guitar Seminar (2014 and 2016), Swan Jazz Club Paris (France, 2014), Jazz at Caillou Bordeaux (France, 2014), Teatro Cendas (Argentina, 2015), Itajaí Music Festival (Brazil, 2015, 2021, and 2022), Entrecuerdas International Guitar Festival (Chile, 2016 and 2019), Navegantes Guitar Seminar (Brazil, 2017), Cuerdas Al Aire International Guitar Festival (Peru, 2017), Salamanca International Guitar Encounter (Mexico, 2018), ICPNA International Guitar Festival (Peru, 2019), Jaraguá do Sul Guitar Festival (Brazil, 2019), Ibero-American Guitar Summit (Spain, 2021), and the International Plucked Strings Seminar (Brazil, 2019, 2022, and 2023), among others. In parallel with his artistic career, he also pursues a teaching career, serving as a Professor at the Conservatório de Música Popular de Itajaí since 2009 and as Pedagogical Coordinator since 2017. Throughout his career as an educator, he has conducted workshops and courses on guitar and choro practice at major institutions and festivals in Brazil, Latin America, and Europe.

He gained national recognition after winning the Breakthrough Artist Award at the 2010 APCA Awards and being a finalist for the Brazilian Music Awards with his debut CD, which featured the complete works for solo guitar by Radamés Gnattali, in addition to a special recital titled Sarau para Radamés. The son of Valvitor Garbelotto and Mariléia D'Altoé Garbelotto, Vitor began his musical studies in Criciúma during his childhood as a self-taught musician, influenced by his older brother. Between the ages of 12 and 15, he studied with professors Fábio Batista and Vladimir Matos; at 18, he briefly studied medicine at a faculty in Santa Catarina. Shortly after, he enrolled in the Bachelor of Popular Music program at Unicamp (University of Campinas), where he studied guitar under Ulisses Rocha—an experience that would change his life forever. Upon hearing Yamandu Costa perform Brasilianas No. 13 by Radamés Gnattali, he fell in love with the composer's work. He then began a research project involving scores, books, and musical networking through guitar festivals dedicated to the work of the man he considered his master. In 2003 and 2004, he participated in a guitar interpretation competition in Guaratinguetá (São Paulo countryside). He performed works by Dilermando Reis and secured second place. Two years later, he was a semi-finalist on the program Prelúdio (TV Cultura, São Paulo), marking his first television performance of the first and third movements of Radamés Gnattali's Concertino No. 2 for Guitar and Orchestra. In 2007, he won his first competition: the I Festival Regional de Música Instrumental in Campinas. Two years later, he participated in three competitions and was awarded in all of them: an Honorable Mention at the VIII Prêmio Nabor Pires Camargo (Indaiatuba); third place at the IV Concurso Nacional de Violão Fred Schneiter (Rio de Janeiro); and first place at the IV Concurso de Violão FITO (Osasco) in the popular guitar category. In 2010, he won the IX Concurso Nabor Pires Camargo. Vitor Garbelotto refined his guitar studies with Professor Paulo Martelli in São Paulo. He also took lessons with Daniel Wolff, Gisela Nogueira, Henrique Pinto, Mariza Ramires, and Fabio Zanon. Simultaneously, he continued researching the works of Radamés Gnattali—one of his favorite albums being the one the master recorded in partnership with Raphael Rabello. This preference led him to record the composer's complete works for the first time on CD. Produced by his former Unicamp professor Ulisses Rocha, sponsored by the Campinas Cultural Investment Fund, and featuring text by Hermínio Bello de Carvalho, Radamés Gnattali: Integral para Violão Solo was recorded in 2010. That same year, he received the Breakthrough Artist Award from the São Paulo Association of Art Critics (APCA). Garbelotto then began performing recitals, all met with excellent reception from both the public and critics. In Sarau para Radamés, he gathered not only works by the Rio-based Gaucho composer but also by authors who had connections to the honoree's life and work. This show opened perspectives for Garbelotto to explore a series of Brazilian musical masterpieces through arrangements or original works. This project was supported by the Proac (Cultural Action Project) of São Paulo, granting him the opportunity to tour the state's interior. Vitor Garbelotto also performed with the Duo Camaradá alongside percussionist Lê dos Santos and had one of his arrangements published by one of the leading Brazilian guitar magazines of the 2000s: Violão Pro, issue No. 16. He is currently a music teacher in São Paulo, where he resides.

William Pofahl is a guitarist and professor, holding a degree in Music from the Regional University of Blumenau (FURB) and a Master’s degree in Guitar from the University of Alicante, Spain. He has experience as a soloist and in chamber music, having performed with the Blumenau Guitar Quartet and in a duo with violinist Daniele Girardello. He has performed in several cities across the state of Santa Catarina and in the Spanish cities of Alicante and Orihuela. With the Blumenau Guitar Quartet, he recorded the album Música Brasileira, performing works by composers Francisco Mignone, Heitor Villa-Lobos, and Camargo Guarnieri. He completed the Master in Classical Guitar Performance at the University of Alicante, Spain, where he studied under renowned guitarists such as Manuel Barrueco, Pepe Romero, David Russell, Paul O’Dette, and Sergio Assad. Currently, he is a member of the Duo Girardello & Pofahl, composed of guitar and violin. As a guitar teacher, William has dedicated himself to collective instrument instruction, an experience that has resulted in the creation of arrangements and the development of pedagogical materials.