Marco Pereira

Marco Pereira stands as a globally celebrated figure from Brazil, excelling as a composer, guitarist, and educator at the university level. His creations and performances, shaped profoundly by traditions from Brazil, Latin America, and jazz, earned recognition through prestigious competitions including the Concurso Andrés Segóvia held in Palma de Mallorca, Spain, along with the Concurso Francisco Tárrega in Valencia.

In 1993, his arrangements for Gal Costa's album Gal secured the Sharp prize in the category of Best Popular Music Arranger. The following year brought two additional Sharp honors—Best Soloist and Best Instrumental Album—for Bons Encontros, his collaborative recording with pianist Cristóvão Bastos. Throughout his career, he has collaborated on stage and in the studio with prominent Brazilian artists such as Tom Jobim, Milton Nascimento, Edu Lobo, Paulinho da Viola, Gilberto Gil, and Wagner Tiso.

His classical guitar training came under the guidance of Isaías Sávio during his time in São Paulo. After relocating to France, he submitted a master's thesis examining the music of Villa-Lobos to the Musicology department at the Université Musicale Internationale de Paris/Sorbonne. Over the subsequent five years residing in France, he gave performances across Germany, the United States, Switzerland, France, Denmark, Canada, and Spain.

Upon returning to Brazil, he established courses in violão and functional harmony at the University of Brasília. Two albums emerged from this period—Violão Popular Brasileiro Contemporâneo and Círculo das Cordas—which led to an invitation for a 1988 concert at New York's Town Hall. He appeared at the Brasil em Caracas festival in Venezuela during 1995 and again in 1996, the second occasion alongside Paulo Moura. That same year saw a notable appearance at the XXème Carrefour Mondiale de la Guitare in Martinica, sharing the bill with Baden Powell and Vicente Amigo. In 2000, Pereira joined Ralph Towner for a United States tour as part of the International Guitar Night series.