Vitor Casagrande

Origin

Piracicaba, SP

Genres

choro, brazilian instrumental music, samba, baião, frevo, maxixe, tango, candombe

Instruments

mandolin, cavaquinho

Biography

Vitor Casagrande is a renowned Brazilian mandolinist and composer, originally from Piracicaba, São Paulo. His musical background is extensive, with degrees in cavaquinho from the Piracicaba School of Music and in mandolin from the "Dr. Carlos de Campos" Conservatory of Tatuí. In addition, he holds a degree in Music Education from UFSCar and a master's degree in music from UFRJ. His dedication to music education led him to become a mandolin teacher at the Escola de Choro de São Paulo, and he has also shared his knowledge through workshops on Brazilian music in countries such as Belgium and Germany, having even studied at Lund University in Sweden.

His artistic career is marked by participation in several prominent groups in the Brazilian instrumental scene. He is a member of the ensembles Água de Vintém, with which he recorded albums such as "Café da Dona Chica" and "Interpreta Sérgio Belluco", Bandolim Trio, and Batuqueiros e sua gente. Casagrande has shared the stage with great names in Brazilian music, such as Cristovão Bastos, Nailor Proveta, Nelson Sargento, Alessandro Penezzi, and Maurício Carrilho, among others, demonstrating the breadth of his recognition in the musical environment.

Recently, Vitor Casagrande released his first solo album, "Mestres do Bandolim", a tribute to musicians like Izaías Bueno de Almeida, Ronaldo do Bandolim, Pedro Amorim, and Déo Rian. The work features unreleased compositions by these masters and an original piece by Casagrande himself, exploring choro rhythms such as polka, samba, and maxixe. The project aims to celebrate and record the legacy of these artists, as well as to offer study material with sheet music and playbacks for the interested public.

Discography

• Um Daqui, um de Lá (2021)
• Bandolim Trio - Ludicamente (2023)
• Mestres do Bandolim (2024)