Iuri Bittar is a guitarist, composer, music producer and teacher. For the past 20 years, he
has devoted himself to the study of acoustic guitar with a focus on Choro and Samba. Since 2012, he has also been on the faculty of both Escola Portátil de Música and Instituto Casa do
Choro, two Brazilian music institutions that specialize in teaching and researching Choro music. The ensemble with which he joins us calls itself Quarteto Urubatan. Here’s a sample of Iuri playing the role of accompanist in that project:
Iuri is also an academic researcher, and his pioneering Masters thesis on guitarist Jayme ‘Meira’ Florence has become a reference for those interested in the historical and musicological roots of Brazilian guitar. In his 20-year career as a guitarist, Iuri has performed with several Choro and Samba groups, including Grupo Jequitibá, and has performed alongside renowned Brazilian musicians such as Paulinho da Viola, Paulo César Pinheiro, Luciana Rabello, Áurea Martins, Monarco, Nelson Sargento, Pedro Amorim and João Camarero.
In 2022, Iuri released his first solo guitar album, Alma Brasileira, on the Biscoito Fino label. This album features new arrangements for works by Ernesto Nazareth and Radamés Gnattali. Throughout 2022, Iuri has been touring and giving masterclasses in Brazil and Europe, with stops in São Paulo and Rio de Janiero as well as Lisbon, Rome and Madrid.
“Brazilian music needs this kind of work from an artist who is solely committed to beauty and depth. I was deeply moved by Iuri Bittar’s version of a Radamés Gnattali piece.”
-Guinga, guitarist & composer
“Swing, technique, determination, all together!”
-Ricardo Dias, luthier, writer & violao.org moderator
“A gifted guitar player! This album will contribute substantially to the Brazilian guitar literature”.
-João Camarero, guitarist & composer
