Luiz Avellar

Origin

Rio de Janeiro, RJ

Also known as

João Luiz de Avellar

Years active

1978

Genres

jazz, instrumental music, mpb

Instruments

piano

Biography

João Luiz de Avellar was born in Rio de Janeiro on April 7, 1956 and began his piano studies in childhood, starting at age six, with various private teachers. Later, he refined his musical training by studying orchestration at the Mannes School of Music in New York in 1976. From the late 1970s onwards, he consolidated a solid artistic career working as a pianist and arranger alongside major exponents of Brazilian music, such as Djavan, Gal Costa, Simone, and Milton Nascimento.

In addition to his strong presence in the national scene, Avellar collaborated with renowned names from the international scene and participated in numerous record recordings with original compositions. His solo discography began in 1994 with the release of the album "Bons amigos", which featured prominent instrumentalists of Brazilian instrumental music such as Hermeto Pascoal, Paulo Moura, and Robertinho da Silva. With a career spanning over three decades, the pianist has also performed as a soloist with symphony orchestras and has lived in Europe since 2007, residing in Portugal.