Marcos Leite

Marcos Leite began his musical studies at the age of five and first appeared professionally in choral and vocal settings in 1967. Over time he established multiple choirs, the most prominent being Garganta Profunda. In his arrangements he transferred the sophisticated harmonic vocabulary of bossa nova and MPB directly into vocal writing, while his stage direction replaced the traditionally formal presentation of choral concerts with a noticeably lighter tone. In 1985 he formed the vocal ensemble Garganta Profunda and remained its artistic director until his death, using the group to fuse music with theatrical elements in a manner that exerted considerable influence. Under his supervision the ensemble issued two LPs and three CDs; he also oversaw the live album Aos Vivos by Cobra Coral and a recording by Coral Furb of Blumenau, Santa Catarina. His collaborative work encompassed sessions with Caetano Veloso, Edu Lobo, Paulo Moura and additional artists. He prepared the arrangements for Chico Buarque’s musical Suburbano Coração, appeared in the 1997 album and stage production Yes, Nós Temos Braguinha, and shared music direction duties with Egberto Gismonti for the play A Bandeira de Cinco Mil-Réis. Leite additionally conceived and led the Orquestra de Vozes de Meninos de Rua, an ensemble of 1,200 voices, and maintained an active teaching schedule at the Festival de Londrina in Paraná, the Oficinas de Música de Curitiba, the Festival de Música Instrumental de Ouro Preto in Minas Gerais, and the Painéis Funarte de Regência Coral.