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Orlando Haddad

About Me

Orlando brings a wealth of influences not only from his country of Brazil as a guitarist, vocalist, songwriter and arranger, but from his classical background as well. A native of Lavras, in the state of Minas Gerais, Orlando has been a bandleader since the age of 12 and studied classical piano before moving to Rio de Janeiro, where he attended the Villa-Lôbos Institute and studied classical guitar.

In 1974 he came to the US to study music at the University of North Carolina School of the Arts, where he met Patricia, and graduated with a degree in Composition. He received a Masters of Science in Arts Administration from Drexel University in 1986, and in 2002 a Masters in Composition from Temple University, in Philadelphia.

Orlando taught Brazilian Music at UArts for 10 years; his expertise in Brazilian music has inspired invitations to teach courses, classes, and clinics at numerous universities in the US.

In addition to the collection of songs recorded with Minas, Orlando has written 20th Century-style works: 2 song cycles, a chamber piece (Transparancies, performed by Rèlache), and 12-tone duets for oboe and viola. Orlando has written music for 3 documentaries and was commissioned to write arrangements for The Orpheus Club of Philadelphia, a choir of 80 men, and commissioned by Live Connections to write a suite, presented by Minas and the baroque ensemble Melomanie. His latest chamber music piece, “Lendas Amazônicas” has been commissioned by Orchestra 2001 and will be premiered in June of 2021.

Orlando Haddad is a Godin Guitars artist.