Marco Pereira

Marco Pereira is a towering figure in the world of Brazilian instrumental music, serving as a vital link between the classical academy and the popular traditions of choro and samba. Born in São Paulo in 1950, his lineage traces back to the legendary Isaias Savio, ensuring a technical foundation rooted in the Spanish school of Miguel Llobet.

His academic credentials, including a master's degree from the Sorbonne focused on Heitor Villa-Lobos, inform a compositional style that is harmonically adventurous and structurally rigorous. Pereira's career is marked by a dual identity as both a world-class performer and a highly influential educator at the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro. His instructional books on Brazilian rhythms and harmony are considered definitive texts. Critically, he is lauded for his 'symphonic' approach to the guitar, often utilizing the 7-string guitar's range to provide deep bass counterpoints to intricate treble melodies. His work with artists like Gal Costa and his numerous awards, including the Sharp Award, solidify his status as a central architect of modern Brazilian acoustic music.