Paulo Sérgio Santos

Paulo Sérgio Santos ranks among Brazil’s foremost wind instrumentalists. He combined rigorous classical preparation with a deep affinity for popular styles, above all choro, and soon found himself welcomed by leading popular artists for a series of significant collaborations. His teachers were José Botelho and Jayoleno dos Santos; he completed his degree at the Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro. From 1977 to 1995 he occupied the first-clarinet chair in the Orquestra Sinfônica do Teatro Municipal do Rio de Janeiro. He also belonged to the World Philharmonic under Lorin Maazel and appeared as soloist with Brazil’s principal orchestras. At the 1987 Acanthes competition for contemporary-music interpretation, held in France, he received an honourable mention. In the popular sphere he recorded with Turíbio Santos, Sivuca, and João Carlos Assis Brasil; the last of these partnerships yielded the album Self Portrait on the Kuarup label. Together with Maurício Carrilho and Pedro Amorim he founded the group O Trio, which captured the 1994 Sharp prize for best instrumental ensemble. He further performs with the wind quintet Quinteto Villa-Lobos, whose focus is the most demanding contemporary Brazilian repertoire. Beginning his solo career in 1994, Santos issued his debut album Segura Ele the following year and received the Sharp prize for best new instrumental artist.