Leandro Fortes

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Leandro Fortes was born in 1983, in Criciúma, Brazil and began playing guitar at the age of eight, learning his first chords with his father. In 1999 he recorded his first CD (heavy metal) with his original compositions. In 2001, Leandro moved to Florianópolis to study Music Education at UDESC (University of State of Santa Catarina), where he studied harmony with Sérgio Freitas and classical guitar with Luiz Mantovani.Since that time, he played professionally in different styles, and started to study and perform brazilian jazz and improvisation. In addition, he studied improvisation with Leonardo Garcia and Luiz Gustavo Zago, and had courses with a lot of well-known brazilian musicians such as André Mehmari, Arismar do Espírito Santo and Vinícius Dorin.Leandro Fortes has been an employed music teacher since 2001, teaching electric and acoustic guitar, harmony, improvisation, ear training and live performance critiquing in Allegro Vivace and Compasso Aberto music conservatories.Leandro Fortes has been playing with many groups and artists such as: Associação Coral Trindade, Destilado p/ Cima (funk / soul), Cláudia Passos e Trio, Trio KOS (with Alexandre Vicente and Mauro Borghezan), Tributo a Chico Buarque (with Fernanda Rosa), Trio Budega (with Tiê Fernandes and Maycon de Souza) and Poré Poré. With Poré Poré, he worked as composer and arranger, and has been playing with Vinícius Dorin, Arismar do Espírito Santo, Alessandro Kramer, Mariana Zwarg, Joana Queiroz and Hermeto Pascoal.In 2004 he got the award of best player at “I Festival da Canção UNESC,” worked at “NEM” (Center of Music Education), and received the 2nd place for best activity development at the University. In addition, he has created a Master class at UDESC University (3rd Forum of Music Education) about the use of brazilian rhythms in improvisation.In 2006 he moved to New York City, playing Brazilian Music in clubs and restaurants in Queens and Manhattan, and taking private jazz classes with Billy Newman. While in NY, Leandro Fortes worked with many musicians including Ana Lu and Apostolos Sideris. He has recorded with Intrigue Productions on Debbie Cunningham's CD, produced by Barry Sames.At the present time, Leandro Fortes is back in Floripa - Brazil, and teaching at Estação das Artes, Escola Internacional de Florianópolis, and Camerata. In addition, he's playing brazilian, jazz, and cuban music in the city, and performing live with his Brazilian Jazz Quartet. He will be recording his first Brazilian Jazz album later this year.