biography
Ricardo Branco was born on February 17, 1986 in the municipality of Torres Vedras. He began to study saxophone in 1999, in the Band of Volunteer Firefighters of Torres Vedras . In 2001, he joined the Conservatory of Music “ Luís António Maldonado Rodrigues” , where he attended classes for five years, with professor Vítor Carvalho. Still in his final year of study, he joined the National Conservatory of Lisbon .
In 2004 he started studying Jazz at the «Jazz School of Torres Vedras» with professor José Menezes.
In 2006 he joined the Portuguese Air Force Band where he stayed until 2013 as a Alto Saxophonist. For the service provided, he brought a Public Praise for several values, among them the “high artistic and solistic quality” and a copper medal of exemplary behavior.
In the 2009/2010 academic year, he completed the 3rd and final year of the Jazz course at the Academia de Amadores de Música in Lisbon and in the following year he began his studies at the Escola Superior de Música de Lisboa in the area of Jazz Saxophone.
He taught saxophone at the International School of Torres Vedras and at the BBVTV Academy, and currently teaches only privately. It also performs concerts with several joint and solo bands, both nationally and internationally, within various musical genres.
His ambition led him to study daily and to invest as much as possible in his training, which transformed him into a musician with a talent recognized not only by the public that accompanies him, but also by his professional colleagues.
In the national panorama, the list of artists he has already followed on stage is vast:
Rui Veloso, Paulo Gonzo, Herman José, Cesar Mourão, Anselmo Ralph, Luís Represas, Boss AC, Jorge Palma, José Cid, Marisa, Camané, Cuca Roseta, Ana Bacalhau (Deolinda), Pedro Tatanka (The Black Mamba), Aurea, Jacinta, Guida de Palma, Vânia Fernandes, Raquel Tavares, Anabela, Lúcia Moniz, Rui Drumond, Tony Carreira, Mickael Carreira, Maria Viana, Maria Anadon, Fernando Tordo, Simone de Oliveira, FF, CC, Henrique Feist, Luísa Sobral, Katia Warrior, Rui Reininho, Cláudia Franco, Cherry, Marisa Liz (Amor Electro), Miguel Araújo (Os Azeitonas), Rita Guerra, Diana Martinez, among others.
And on the international scene there are names like:
Daniela Mercury, Nelson Freitas, Anitta, Mario Biondi, Leo Santana, Ed Motta, Paulo Flores, Yuri da Cunha, Anna Joyce, Naldo Benny, Zé Ricardo, Márcia Castro, Renegado, Luiza Possi, Stacey kent, Anthony Strong, Skyler Jett, Alexander Stewart, Tokunbo, Isabella Lundgren, DJ CloZee, among others.
He attended several courses and master classes, where he studied with teachers:
Vítor Fontão, João Figueiredo, Fernando Ramos, Henrique Portovedo, Romeu Costa, Francisco Ferreira, José Massarrão, Hugo Gaito, Rita Nunes, Mário Marzi, Henk Van Twillert, Scott Wendholt, Greg Tardy, John Fedchock, Jonatan Kreisberg, Gary Versace, Matt Penman, Gerald Cleaver, Francisco Blanco, João Falcato, Mario Laginha, André Fernandes, Bernardo Moreira, Alexandre Frazão, Massimo Cavalli, Alexendre Dinis, Julian Argüelles, Pedro Moreira, Mitchell J. Fennell, Mulgrew Miller, Ivan Taylor, Rodney Green, Steve Nelson, Antonio Hart, Alberto Pinton, Chris Cheek, George Garzone, Michael Cheret, John Davis, Joseph Lepore, Nir Felder, Adam Birnbaum, Sara Serpa, Greg Osby, Joe Lovano, Claus Nymark, Guto Lucena, Luis Perdomo, Hans Glawischnig, Henry Cole, Miguel Zenón, Mark Turner, Avishai Cohen, Robin Eubanks, Stefon Harris, Edward Simon, Eric Harland, Rogério Boccato, Adam Cruz, Ben Street, Rudresh Mahanthappa and Danilo Perez.
Countries where you have worked:
EUROPE
Portugal, Spain, England, Belgium, Turkey, Greece, Germany, Netherlands, Switzerland, Luxembourg, Italy, France, Slovakia, Austria
AFRICA
Angola
NORTH AMERICA
Canada, Mexico, USA- Colorado States, Philadelphia, Washington DC, California, New York, Atlanta, Nevada, Florida, Pennsylvania
SOUTH AMERICA
Brazil, Uruguay, Argentina
CENTRAL AMERICA
Cuba
ASIA
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