João Diogo Leitão

CONCERT

JOÃO DIOGO LEITÃO

With a Master’s Degree in Classical Guitar Performance from the prestigious The Hague Royal Conservatory (The Netherlands), several prizes, concerts as soloist with the most important Portuguese orchestras, and presentations in all the major Portuguese concert halls, João Diogo Leitão is considered one of the most preeminent young musicians and guitarists of his generation. His discovery of ‘viola braguesa’ – a traditional acoustic guitar from northern Portugal, usually associated with traditional/folk music – his fascination for its timbre and the untapped potential of this instrument, triggered a poetic urgency that led him to investigate and compose music for it. These compositions arose from the natural encounter between the worlds of classical and traditional music, innovating in technical and aesthetic approaches to create an unprecedented repertoire for this instrument.

João Diogo Leitão’s debut album “por onde fica a primavera” for solo ‘viola braguesa’ is a pioneering and original creation that brings together, through a contemporary approach and a natural virtuosity, his memories of classical and traditional music, creating his own unique imaginary sound world.

Go hear it on August 14th in Times Square!