Brazilian Choro!

Originated in late 19th-century Rio de Janeiro, choro is an instrumental genre considered to be Brazil’s first urban popular music. Contrary to its meaning “cry” or “lament,” choro is mostly upbeat, joyous, and syncopated.

Stephen Guerra (nylon-string guitar) is joined by Ken Luk (Brazilian bandolim) and Penn Watson (nylon-string guitar).

In 2009, Stephen left his career in finance to study music full time. Today, Stephen performs and teaches choro around the US and Brazil and has played with the likes of Rogério Souza, Ronaldo do Bandolim, Sungmin Shin, Tiago Souza, Eduardo Belo, Ami Molinelli, and Edinho Gerber. Stephen regularly appears at universities, festivals, cultural centers, and music clubs, including University of Louisville Guitar Festival, Northwest Jazz Festival, Folkfaces Fest, Buffalo AKG Art Museum, Buffalo International Guitar Festival, Yale University, Georgetown University Friday Music Series, Friends of Vienna Concert Series, Pausa Art House, Jazz Forum Arts, and Boulder Guitar Society. His work has been supported by numerous competitive artist grants and composer residencies. He’s published two full length albums and sheet music with Mel Bay, Guitar Chamber Music Press, and Bergmann Editions. He teaches music theory and the choro ensemble at the University at Buffalo and lives between NY and Rio de Janeiro.