Founded by Paul Galbraith, the Brazilian Guitar Quartet’s unique sound resulted from experimentation with the fundamental design of the contemporary acoustic guitar. Paul Galbraith started to show musical promise at 17 years old at the Segovia International Guitar Contest, where he garnered a silver medal. Paul Galbraith collaborated with David Rubio, an expert luthier, to recreate the acoustic guitar. They incorporated two additional strings both below and above the usual six strings, with the top string bringing a harp-like tone to the acoustic guitar sound. When played, held in an upright position like a viola da gamba or cello, A tailpiece lies, and the resonance box, taking its sound to a further distance than the standard guitar.

In 1989, Paul Galbraith introduced the remodeled instrument to the world at the Edinburgh festival. He then traveled the world and finally settled in Brazil’s Sao Paulo, where he formed the Brazilian Guitar Quartet alongside three other guitarists in 1999. The guitar-playing level is so high in Sao Paulo, and bringing together an excellent Brazilian guitar virtuoso to form a quartet created something extraordinary. The other members that started the Brazilian Guitar Quartet include Everton Gloeden, Tadeu do Amaral, and Edelton Gloeden. The Brazilian Guitar Quartet achieved instant success after the release of Essencia do Brasil, its first disc. Their success continued with the arrangement of Delos’ Bach Orchestral suite. The Brazilian Guitar Quartet was dubbed the “dream team” of guitar players by the Brazilian media. Paul Galbraith left the quartet in 2003 in pursuit of more solo ventures, and Luiz Mantovani took his place in the quartet. The Brazilian Guitar Quartet has traveled around the world, and in 2004 appeared at the first World Guitar Congress in Baltimore as the main attraction. By the 4th recording of the ensemble released in 2006, Edelton Gloeden’s place was taken by its Edson Lopes Pozzi.

By 2011, the Brazilian Guitar Quartet had established a reputation as one of the leading guitar groups in the world and garnered the Latin Grammy awards. The ensemble received praise from the Washington Post for its virtuosic gusto and seductive beauty. The Brazilian Guitar Quartet’s creative combination of the usual 6-string and extended range, 8-strings guitars, allows the exploration of a unique and original repertoire. In the over 10 years of existence, the Brazilian Guitar Quartet has had more than 250 concerts in Europe, Asia, and the Americas and often receives rave reviews, sold-out halls, and ecstatic audience responses.

Highlights of the Brazilian Guitar Quartet’s previous seasons features performances at the Metropolitan Museum in New York, Vancouver Playhouse, Spivey Hall in Atlanta, Street Y, Palm Beach’s Flagler Museum, the National Gallery in Washington DC, Dumbarton concerts, Beethovensaal in Hanover, Chamber Music Albuquerque, Libby Gardner Hall Salt Lake City’s and Houston’s Wortham Theater, as well as at Tel Aviv’s Felicja Blumental Festival, Hong Kong Arts Festival, Ravinia Festival, Carmel Beach Festival, Colorado Music Festival, and some of the most popular guitar festivals in Brazil, USA, Denmark, Germany, Portugal, Scotland, Australia, and Mexico.…