Alex Sobreira

Seven String Guitar/Arranger

ALEX SOBREIRA (Alexandro Sobreira Pereira), is a native of Recife, Pernambuco, Brazil. He is a guitarist with technical training at the Pernambuco Conservatory of Music, a graduate with a  Music Degree from the Federal University of Pernambuco, and a masters degree in Higher Education Teaching from Centro Universitário dos Guararapes, Pernambuco. Specializing in the seven string guitar, he has performed in instrumental groups such as the Orchestral Portraits of the Northeast, where he participated in the national tour of the show “Folias Guanabaras” (2001), directed by the choreographer Ivaldo Bertazzo; Sexteto Capibaribe and Crying in PE, both under the direction of the bandolist Marco Cesar, with performances at the Brasilia Choro Club, and in Paris, France (2005); SaGrama, with whom he performed in France and Belgium (2012), and the national tour of the show “Gonzaga, Cordas & Afins” (2014), starring singer Elba Ramalho; he has performed in shows and recorded CD’s with artists such as Alaíde Costa, Cristina Buarque de Holanda, Marília Medalha, Antonio Carlos Nóbrega, Naná Vasconcelos, among others. He was the director of the Grupo de Choro Infanto Juvenil of SESC Santo Amaro (2010 to 2016) in Recife, Pernambuco, Brazil.

Wesley Amorim

Guitar/Cavaquinho

Wesley Amorim, a guitarist, composer, and arranger from São Paulo, Brazil, started his musical journey when he was 11 years old, later graduating in music from the São Caetano do Sul Arts Foundation (FASCS). He began his professional music career at the age of 17 playing and recording a wide range of musical genres from Brazilian to jazz, rock, pop and gospel. Amorim has performed in several Brazilian versions of Broadway musicals, including Jesus Christ Super Star and The Lion King, and has played and recorded with countless artists. He recently moved to the US and has already shared the stage with many renowned artists including Oriente Lopez, Nanny Assis, Arthur Lipner, Gene Perla, Eleanor Dubinski, Jackie Ribas, Vanessa Falabella, Itaiguara Brandão, Maurício Zottarelli, and others.

“Wesley Amorim is a phenomenal, superb guitarist, and when I play with him everything flows so easily. We’re both very much looking forward to performing at the IV Choro Festival!” – Luiz Simas

Luiz Simas

Piano/Vocal/Composer

Rio-born Brazilian jazz composer/singer/pianist Luiz Simas is a genuine Carioca! A New Yorker since ‘89, he has led original groups in jazz festivals and clubs in the US, in Europe and in Brazil. Luiz’ voice and music have warmed major venues including Birdland, the Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall and Bargemusic. His CDs include Cafune, Impromptu, Luiz Simas Live in NYC, New Chorinhos from Brazil, Recipe for Rhythm, Mata Atlântica (Atlantic Forest) Piano Suite and Transparências.

“Luiz Simas is not only a wonderful musician, singer and composer, he is an engaging performer who draws his audience into his witty, joyful, sensuous musical world. Simas epitomizes the fantasies we non-Brazilians have about that wonderful country, and with him, we all get to be Brazilian, at least for the a couple hours!” – Judy Carmichael, pianist

Laura Dreyer

Sax/Flute

Multi-instrumentalist/composer/educator Laura Dreyer has worked with some of the finest Brazilian musicians both in Brazil and the U.S. In addition to leading her own band, she is a member of the Dom Salvador sextet, and performs with many other well-known jazz artists. She is on the faculty of Church St. School for Music and Art, The New York Pops PopsEd program, The New York Jazz Academy, and Riverdale Country School. Additionally, she has also served on the faculties of Hoff-Barthelson Music School, Cazadero Music Camp, Jazz Camp West, The Jamey Aebersold Jazz Clinics, and The Friends of Music in Busan, South Korea. Laura has presented workshops at Berklee College of Music, The Jazz Improv Convention, and The Jazz School in Berkeley, CA.
She recently recorded her 3rd Brazilian Jazz CD in Rio de Janeiro, and has received three grants from The National Endowment for the Arts in performance and professional jazz study/composition. Laura attended Berklee College of Music, and has a Bachelor of Arts degree from SUNY Empire State College.

Everton Isidoro

Percussion

Everton Isidoro was born and raised in Salvador, Bahia, Brazil. He began studying percussion in 1999, and he has completed his Bachelors degree in Percussion at the Federal University of Bahia (UFBA) in 2012. His work consists of 10 years as a percussion teacher and musician at Neojibá project, percussion teacher at Espaço Cultural Pierre Verger, musician at Afro-Sinfônica Orchestra, the Soteropolifônica Orchestra, Leitieres Leite & the Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra, as well as teacher and coordinator of the percussion group Tom de Percussão. He has played with artists such as Maria Bethânia, Ivete Sangalo, Caetano Veloso, Susana Baca, Carlinhos Brown, Mercedes Sosa, Cecília Todd, Ramiro Musotto, Camila Cabello and others. Everton has completed many tours with Neojibá in Europe, the US, and South America.

Grant Ziolkowski

Mandolin

Originally from Wisconsin, Grant began playing mandolin and composing at a young age. His musical pursuits have carried him from classical music to bluegrass and jazz, and later to the diverse styles of Spain, Argentina and Brazil. After playing Ragtime for many years, Grant became deeply inspired after hearing Brazil’s analogous mandolin style in choro. He has a deep respect for the classics of Jacob do Bandolim and Ernesto Nazareth along with the jazz stylings choro novo.