Paulo Martelli 

Acclaimed by international critics as "one of the greatest guitarists of his generation," Paulo Martelli occupies a unique place in the landscape of contemporary classical music. His art transcends technical virtuosity: it is a rare fusion of interpretative depth, stylistic rigor, and poetic sensibility. In Brazil, he is a protagonist of a true renewal of the guitar scene; abroad, he has established himself as an unavoidable reference for the instrument.

From London to Tokyo, his discography has received unanimous praise: “perfection” (Classical Guitar Magazine, UK), “solid and brilliant technique” (Soundboard Magazine, USA) and “impeccable musicianship” (Gendai Magazine, Japan). These adjectives describe not only the performer, but the experience his music evokes: an intense dialogue between tradition and modernity.

His academic background is equally remarkable. He holds a PhD in Music from the State University of São Paulo (UNESP) and a Post-Doctorate from the Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte (UFRN). He is currently a Post-Doctoral Fellow in Guitar at the University of São Paulo (USP), with research dedicated to Bach on the guitar. He has a Master's degree from the legendary Juilliard School of Music and completed Professional Studies at the Manhattan School of Music, both in New York. Author of reference works such as *Bach and Musical Rhetoric*, *Geraldo Vespar - Three Popular Studies for Guitar and Cello*, and *Geraldo Vespar: 20 Brazilian Popular Studies for Guitar*, Martelli moves naturally between academic research and artistic expression.

Among the numerous distinctions he has received, the Music Professionals Award (PPM) stands out, in which he was awarded in 2025 in two categories: Best Music Teacher and Best Classical Instrumentalist, in addition to winning the "Classical Instrumentalist" category in previous editions, thanks to recordings that have become landmarks in the repertoire: Unpublished Transcriptions for Baroque Guitar, A Bach Recital and Geraldo Vespar: 20 Brazilian Popular Studies. His most recent album, Dedicatória, brings together unpublished works composed especially for him by Brazilian masters, and has been widely celebrated by national and international critics.

His contribution to music education was recognized by the Ministry of Culture, which awarded him the prestigious "Virtuoso Scholarship" for research in tablature notation systems at the Manhattan School of Music. At that institution, he also received the coveted "Andrés Segovia" Award, a distinction reserved for a select few in the world of guitar.

As a producer, Martelli is the creator and curator of the Movimento Violão (Guitar Movement), an international concert series that, for over two decades, has brought the biggest names in the instrument to Brazil. The project gave rise to the eponymous television program on SescTV, constituting the largest audiovisual archive ever produced about the guitar, with approximately 100 episodes. Under his direction, Movimento Violão generated DVDs, CDs, and a monumental 10-DVD box set released by Selo SESC, in addition to having produced memorable performances, such as the premiere at the Kennedy Center in Washington DC, broadcast globally.

His career includes world premieres, such as the Fantasia Concertante for two guitars and orchestra – Amazonian Legends, alongside Marco Pereira, and historical recordings, such as the special dedicated to Villa-Lobos with the Concerto for Guitar and Small Orchestra. In the field of the eleven-string guitar (alto guitar), he is recognized as one of the greatest current exponents, with arrangements of J.S. Bach acclaimed as "extraordinary" and "miraculous".

An outstanding educator, Martelli has trained generations of musicians who now hold prominent positions on international stages. Currently, he teaches at the Magda Tagliaferro Foundation and in the Postgraduate Guitar Program at the Santa Marcelina Faculty, having also worked as a professor at UNESP and the University of Ribeirão Preto (UNAERP).

Paulo Martelli doesn't just interpret music: he builds bridges between eras, geographies, and languages, reaffirming, with each note, the guitar's place as an instrument of infinite expressiveness and cultural relevance.