Egberto Gismonti

Origin

Carmo, RJ

Also known as

Egberto Amin Gismonti, Egberto Gismonti Amim

Years Active

1969–present

Genres

brazilian music, jazz, world music, contemporary classical music, folk, instrumental

Instruments

8-string guitar, 10 string guitar, piano, wood flutes, kalimba, Indian organ, flute, clarinet, violão

Biography

Egberto Gismonti, born December 5, 1947, is a highly acclaimed Brazilian composer, pianist, and guitarist renowned for his innovative approach to music that seamlessly blends Brazilian folk traditions with jazz and classical elements.

Born into a musical family in Carmo, Rio de Janeiro, Gismonti began his musical journey at the age of six with classical piano studies. After dedicating 15 years to classical repertoire in Brazil, he traveled to Paris to explore modern music, studying with Nadia Boulanger and Jean Barraqué. Boulanger encouraged him to infuse his compositions with the collective Brazilian experience. Upon returning to Brazil, Gismonti, a self-taught guitarist, began to experiment with custom-designed guitars featuring more than six strings, expanding the instrument's sonic possibilities and developing a unique two-hand technique.

Gismonti's extensive discography showcases his versatility, ranging from solo performances to collaborations with notable artists such as Naná Vasconcelos, Charlie Haden, and Jan Garbarek. His work has been recognized for its complexity and originality, often defying easy categorization, as evidenced by awards that classified his music as pop, folk, and classical simultaneously. He is also known for his deep connection to Brazilian culture, drawing inspiration from diverse regional music forms and even spending time with indigenous tribes in the Amazon to understand their traditions. Gismonti's influence can be seen in his ability to bridge different musical worlds, much like his predecessor Heitor Villa-Lobos.

Discography

• Egberto Gismonti (1969)
• Sonho 70 (1970)
• Orfeo Novo (1971)
• Água & Vinho (1972)
• Egberto Gismonti (1973)
• Academia de Danças (1974)
• Corações Futuristas (1976)
• Altitude of the Sun (1976)
• Dança das Cabeças (1977)
• Carmo (1977)
• Sol Do Meio Dia (1978)
• Nó Caipira (1978)
• Solo (1979)
• Charlie Haden, Jan Garbarek, Egberto Gismonti – Magico (1980)
• Circense (1980)
• Francis Hime, Egberto Gismonti – Passeio no Bosque Encantado / O Dirigível Tereré (1980)
• Charlie Haden, Jan Garbarek, Egberto Gismonti – Folk Songs (1981)
• Em Família (1981)
• Egberto Gismonti & Academia de Danças – Sanfona (1981)
• Fantasia (1982)
• Sonhos de Castro Alves (1982)
• Cidade Coração (1983)
• Bernard Wystraëte & Egberto Gismonti – Intromission (1983)
• Antologia Poética de João Cabral de Melo Neto (1984)
• Egberto Gismonti (1985)
• Egberto Gismonti / Naná Vasconcelos – Duas Vozes (1985)
• Trem Caipira (1985)
• Alma (1986)
• Egberto Gismonti & Academia de Danças – Feixe de Luz "Todo Começo É Involuntário" (1988)
• O Pagador de Promessas (1988)
• Kuarup (1989)
• Dança dos Escravos (1989)
• Gismonti / Vasconcelos – Jazzbühne Berlin '84 (1990)
• Amazônia (1991)
• Casa das Andorinhas (1992)
• Astor Piazzolla - Egberto Gismonti - Jaques Morelenbaum – New Tango, Brazilian Touch (1992)
• André Geraissati / Egberto Gismonti – Brasil Musical (1995)
• Zigzag (1996)
• Meeting Point (1997)
• Voyages Ricardo Peres Piano (2000)
• Jorge Antunes, Edino Krieger, Almeida Prado, Ronaldo Miranda, Egberto Gismonti – Sinfonia Brasil 500 Anos (2000)
• Charlie Haden / Egberto Gismonti – In Montreal (2001)
• Egberto Gismonti, Chick Corea , A.M.O. Duo Musica – Loro (2002)
• Saudações (2009)
• Jan Garbarek / Egberto Gismonti / Charlie Haden : Magico – Carta de Amor (2012)
• Christina Sandsengen / Domeniconi, Albéniz, Tárrega, Lundestad, Aguado, Mangoré, Gismonti – Shades & Contrasts (2014)
• Flavio Cucchi Plays Chick Corea (2018)
• Assad • Barrios • Gismonti • Miranda - Thanos Mitsalas – Barbad’s Fables (Works For Solo Guitar By Latin American Composers) (2024)
• Egberto Gismonti - Orquestra Sinfônica da Bahia, Jaques Morelenbaum – Sonhos de Castro Alves
• História da Musica Instrumental Brasileira Vol. 01 - Piano Solo