João Lyra

Origin

São José da Laje, AL

Also known as

João Pinheiro de Andrade Lyra Filho, John Lyra

Years active

1971–2025

Genres

mpb, choro, bossa nova, forró

Instruments

acoustic guitar, viola

Biography

João Lyra is a renowned Brazilian guitarist, composer, and arranger, born in São José da Laje, Alagoas, on April 26, 1949. His musical journey began early, influenced by his mother, who played the cavaquinho, and later by his older brother, who encouraged him to dedicate himself to the acoustic guitar. This passion for the instrument led him to join various Brazilian popular music and rock groups in Maceió, where he also developed his background in choro and bossa nova.

His quest for improvement led him to Recife, where he studied music at the Federal University of Pernambuco and classical guitar with the renowned professor José Carrion. For nine years, João Lyra worked as a teacher at the Pernambuco Conservatory of Music, in addition to joining the Pernambuco Plucked String Orchestra as a musician, arranger, and composer. His versatility led him to participate in more than a thousand record recordings by local artists, consolidating his presence in the northeastern musical scene.

In 1993, he moved to Rio de Janeiro, where he became one of the most sought-after musicians in MPB. His collaboration extended to countless nationally renowned artists, such as Nana Caymmi, Gal Costa, Gilberto Gil, Djavan, Ivan Lins, Elba Ramalho, Caetano Veloso, Chico Buarque, Tim Maia, Ney Matogrosso, Milton Nascimento, among many others. Currently, he maintains an instrumental duo with pianist Cristovão Bastos, with whom he explores a vast repertoire that includes works by great masters of Brazilian music and original compositions, demonstrating the continuous vitality of his career.