BIOGRAPHY
Praised by the German magazine Akustik Gitarre as a soloist of international standing, André Simão was awarded at the major music competitions in Brazil, such as the First Prize at the Villa-Lobos Guitar competition (2004) among others. In Austria, he was awarded the Third Prize in the Chamber Music Guitar Competition Savarez-Corelli at the University Mozarteum Salzburg. Since 1996, he has been performing as a soloist as well as in chamber music ensembles throughout South America, Europe, Asia, and Africa, holding concerts in cities such as Paris, Vienna, Salzburg, Munich, Budapest, Seoul, Cairo, São Paulo, and Rio de Janeiro.
Born in 1980 in Taubaté, Brazil, André began to teach himself to play the guitar at the age of nine. Subsequently, he received his formal musical education at the Escola Municipal de Música Maestro Fêgo Camargo in his hometown, where he developed a deep passion for the classical guitar. In 2003, André completed his bachelor's degree in guitar studies under the guidance of Professor Edelton Gloeden, PhD, at the Universidade de São Paulo. He also studied with the renowned guitarist Fabio Zanon in Brazil.
In 2007, André Simão was awarded a DAAD scholarship, followed by a KAAD scholarship, enabling him to pursue a postgraduate program in Germany under the guidance of guitarist Franz Hálasz at the Hochschule für Musik Nürnberg. In 2010, he completed his studies, earning the Meisterklasse-Diplom, the highest academic distinction in instrumental performance in Germany. In 2013, he held a Master Degree in Performance at the University Mozarteum Salzburg. During his studies, he wrote a thesis focused on the process of transcribing the lute works of Baroque composer Silvius Leopold Weiss for the guitar. Furthermore, from 2012 to 2013, he also attended Paolo Pegoraro's classes at the Francisco Tárrega Guitar Academy in Pordenone, Italy.
André's two solo albums, Recital (2006) and Batuque (2018), have garnered exceptional reviews in esteemed guitar and music magazines in Germany, the United States, and Brazil. He can also be heard on various Brazilian radio stations such as Rádio Cultura FM, Rádio MEC, and Rádio USP. Currently residing in Germany, André continues to develop his artistic career and also teaches guitar at the Städtische Sing & Musikschule Erlangen.
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© Foto by Manfred Pollert