Ricardo Rocha

Ricardo Rocha was born in Lisbon 1974 and is the grandson of Fontes Rocha, acclaimed guitarist who accompanied many of the greatest classic Fado singers. He plays the unique, demanding Portuguese guitar (a lute-shaped guitar with six sets of twin steel strings) since he was eight, and the piano since he was sixteen. He started accompanying Fado singers at fourteen, but he is best known as a self-taught composer and performer of original solo Portuguese guitar pieces.

He has performed, on the stage or in the studio, with Carlos do Carmo, João Paulo Esteves da Silva, Maria Ana Bobone, Maria João, Mário Laginha, Pedro Caldeira Cabral, Sérgio Godinho, Vitorino, among many others.

He is one of the creators of the collective album "Luz Destino", released 1996 by MA Recordings, along with Maria Ana Bobone, João Paulo Esteves da Silva and Mário Franco.

"Voluptuária" is his first solo record and was released in May of 2003, being considered one of the best releases of 2003 by the specialized press. It is a double CD including 23 pieces for solo Portuguese guitar, except on three pieces where he is accompanied at the harpsichord, and on four where he is accompanied on the violin.

Most of the material featured was written by Ricardo Rocha himself, except the pieces by acclaimed classical guitarist Pedro Caldeira Cabral and by Portuguese guitar legend Carlos Paredes.

After several performances in Portugal, Ricardo Rocha was invited to play at New Jersey Performing Arts last September.

In March of 2004 he has been granted the prize Carlos Paredes, an award received for his CD “Voluptuária”, considered the best album of Portuguese instrumental music.

Since then, Ricardo Rocha has been performing as soloist in several venues in Portugal and abroad. He also performs regularly with the Austrian piano player Ingeborg Baldaszti andalongside the fado player Carlos do Carmo.

More recently, he has composed songs for the CD "Nome de Mar" of Maria Ana Bobone, being also responsible for its musical production.

In 2004, he released "Tributo À Guitarra Portuguesa" and, in 2009, the double CD "Luminismo", with some original themes and some by Carlos Paredes, Pedro Caldeira Cabral, among others.

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