Cláudio Tupinambá, (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil – 1970)

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Musician since the age of seven, he obtained his Bachelor's Degree in Guitar at the School of Music of the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro with Professor Leo Soares (1989-1992), later pursuing postgraduate studies at the Royal Conservatory of Music in Madrid with Jorge Ariza (1992-93) and at the Hochschule für Musik “Mozarteum” in Salzburg (Austria), with Eliot Fisk (1993–97). He studied composition with H. J. Koellreuter, Mario Ficarelli, and Leo Brouwer.

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As a guitarist, he develops a wide-ranging musical activity, performing concerts in various countries in Europe, the United States, Brazil, and Morocco. He has recorded for TV and radio, as well as performing as a soloist with American and European orchestras. Among his concerts, the commemorative recital for the 75th anniversary of the Musical Library of Madrid in 1994 stands out, where he played a Santos Hernández guitar (1924) that belonged to Andrés Segovia.

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His discography includes his solo CD “Mosaico,” dedicated to contemporary Brazilian music for guitar, as well as participation in other albums alongside names such as Egberto Gismonti, Guinga, the London Symphony Orchestra, the Rio de Janeiro Children's Choir, and the Wiener Sängerknaben, among others.

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His work as a guitarist has a special focus on contemporary music, and he has performed numerous premieres. Brazilian, Latin American, African, and European composers have dedicated solo, chamber, and even concertos for guitar and orchestra to him. His activity as a soloist combines works from the classical guitar repertoire with his own compositions and free improvisation recitals, and it has always gone hand in hand with chamber music. More recently, he has been a member of the Ex Corde Guitar Quartet and currently performs in the Tupinambá Duo, alongside saxophonist Bruno Tupinambá.

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His compositions have been performed and recorded in countries across five continents, such as Brazil, the United States, Cuba, England, Germany, Italy, Spain, Venezuela, Morocco, and China, and recorded on CDs. Among his numerous works for guitar, “Around the Fire” is published by Rugginenti Editore (Milan, Italy), and “Toccatta” was published by the specialized magazine “Acordes” (Spain). Highlights from his catalog include “Urbe” (2002) for String Orchestra and Percussion, “Three Fantasies for Solo Clarinet” (1991), “Triângulo Brasileiro” (for Flute, Clarinet, and Bassoon, recorded on CD by the Cervantes Trio), and “Sete Chaves Místicas” (1997) for accordion and guitar, the latter choreographed by the Young Chamber Ballet of Madrid.

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His pedagogical work has led him to give courses, seminars, and masterclasses at various universities and conservatories in the Americas and Europe, at institutions such as California Polytechnic State University (USA), the University of Rio de Janeiro, the University of São Paulo, the Brazilian Superior Conservatory of Music, the Málaga Conservatory, the CDMC, among others.

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He resides in Madrid, where he has been a guitar professor for 31 years at the Manuel Rodríguez Sales Professional Conservatory of Music in Leganés.