Musician Bios

Rogério Souza. Born in Rio de Janeiro, 7-string guitarist, composer, and arranger Rogério Souza is one of the great representatives of the carioca language of the Brazilian guitar. He has been involved in the largest events related to MPB (Brazilian popular music), mainly in choro and samba. He’s worked with great Brazilian musicians, including Baden Powell, Paulinho da Viola, Sivuca, Altamiro Carrilho, Paulo Moura, João Bosco, Ivan Lins, Zé Menezes, Guinga, Turíbio Santos, Rafael Rabello, Cristóvão Bastos, Proveta, Ronaldo do Bandolim, Zé da Velha, groups Nó em Pingo D’agua and Grupo Época de Ouro, among others. He’s played in festivals, cultural spaces, and music universities and schools in various corners of the world such as Japan, China, USA, holding concerts and workshops every year at several universities in the USA such as Oberlin, Berklee College of Music, Yale, University of Virginia, JMU, Georgetown, Columbia, Temple, University of Chicago, Notre Dame, SF University, University of California (LA), University of Texas (Valle del Rio Grande), among others. He is currently dedicated to his solo work, giving presentations and workshops on the dissemination of MPB and his latest works on CDs/Books.

Stephen Guerra 

Stephen Guerra is a band leader, accompanist, composer, arranger, and educator based in New York City. He performs at music clubs, cultural centers, universities, and guitar societies around the United States and has shared the stage with Rogério Souza, Duo Violão, Ami Molinelli, Tiago do Bandolim, Q Morrow, and Regional de NY among others. He spent years studying Brazilian guitar and choro in Rio de Janeiro with Rogério Souza, Ronaldo do Bandolim, and the Escola Portátil and continues to visit regularly. Some of his published work includes: the album Choro in the Time of Bossa Nova with Duo Guerra/Morrow, Suíte Rio de Janeiro with Guitar Chamber Music Press, 10 Brazilian Choros Arranged for Classical Guitar Solo with Mel Bay, and a popular YouTube channel (youtube.com/stephenguerra).