Discography

Brazilian Guitar Music

Rooted in European music, native folk traditions and often infused by jazz, Brazilian music encompasses a huge variety of dance forms and songs. Prize-winning guitarist Pedro Aguiar has selected a panoramic recital to illustrate these elements which include the choro and music rich in melody and rhythmic vitality. From Villa-Lobos, whose Choros no.1 is one of the most popular guitar solos ever written, through to the work of the revered Dilermando Reis, and on to contemporary examples of the genre, this is music of dazzling virtuosity and finesse.

“The true spirit of a cross-section of Brazilian music, coupled with a strong, clean technique…”Jim McCutcheon Soundboard (Guitar Foundation of America), September 2020

WQXR’s The Best Classical Albums of 2020

Pedro Aguiar’s debut album traverses the rich history of the solo guitar in his native Brazil, capturing everything from the balmy breezes of Copacabana to the crazed crowds of Carnival with wit and delight.

LES ANNÉES FOLLES

During the années folles, Paris was both a temporary home base for many artists and a formidable creative laboratory, mixing jazz, Latin music and neo-classicism. The guitar benefited from this effervescence, expanding its repertoire and winning its place in the concert hall.
For this album, Brazilian guitarist Pedro Aguiar brings together the figures of this artistic revival: Villa-Lobos and his indispensable 12 Études, the cornerstone of the repertoire, with its multiple influences, De Falla, Germaine Tailleferre, but also the Mexican composer Manuel Ponce, with a clin d’oeil to Bach, and Gustave Samazeuilh. Pedro Aguiar delivers a precise, spirited reading of this programme, from which the shadow of the legendary Andrés Segovia is not absent, combining virtuosity and interiority.