Home » Jazz Musicians » Vitor Gonçalves

Vitor Gonçalves

Vitor Gonçalves is a pianist, accordionist, composer and arranger from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. After an illustrious career as an in demand musician in Brazil, playing with such icons as Hermeto Pascoal, Maria Bethânia, Itiberê Zwarg, and many others, he made the move to New York City, where he currently resides.

Since arriving here in 2012, he has garnered much acclaim and built a star lighted resumé, including features in NPR’s Jazz Night in America, hosted by Christian McBride and The New York Times as a guest of the renowned Spok Frevo Orquestra. A frequent resident on the stages of Jazz at Lincoln Center, The Jazz Standard, and the Jazz Gallery, he both leads his own projects, and collaborates with figures in the New York scene such as Anat Cohen, Vinícius Cantuária, Anthony Wilson, Cyro Baptista, and Yotam Silberstein.

He also has played in Jazz Festivals and venues around the world, such as Newport Jazz, Jazz à Vienne, Umbria Jazz Festival, Queen Elizabeth Hall in London, and the Coliseum in Lisbon, Portugal.

Vitor moved to New York in 2012 to deepen his pursuit of Jazz and its connection with Brazilian music, and to explore the diverse musical melting pot that is New York City. It is here that he began leading his own group and forming new collectives, while pursuing a Masters Degree at City College. In 2017 he released his debut album on Sunnyside Records, Vitor Gonçalves Quartet, featuring Dan Weiss (drums), Thomas Morgan (bass), and Todd Neufeld (guitar). The album was reviewed with 4 and half stars at Downbeat jazz magazine.

Other groups he co-leads are “SanfoNYa Brasileira”, an accordion trio with Eduardo Belo on bass and Vanderlei Pereira on drums, and “Regional de NY”, one of the biggest representatives of Choro music (a rich Brazilian genre) in the USA. Both groups released an original album, the former with Steve Wilson as a guest and the latter with Fred Hersch.

He got two nominations for the Grammy Awards 2020, for Best Latin Jazz album with Thalma de Freitas and for Best Large Jazz Ensemble with Anat Cohen Tentet.


Tags

1
Album Review

Patricio Morales: La Tierra Canta

Read "La Tierra Canta" reviewed by Richard J Salvucci


If it has been some time since you listened to Ralph Towner, like a few decades or so, it may not be immediately obvious what classical guitarist Patricio Morales is doing. It may not even be obvious that he is playing jazz, although, by Morales' own account, Towner was a mentor and huge influence when he first came to New York. Morales went on to study with Towner on the West Coast. He subsequently toured with him as well. Morales ...

Album Review

Gaia Wilmer, Jaques Morelenbaum: Trem Das Cores

Read "Trem Das Cores" reviewed by Angelo Leonardi


Il violoncellista Jaques Morelenbaum e la sassofonista Gaia Wilmer celebrano l'opera di Caetano Veloso privilegiando nove sue composizioni, eseguite quasi esclusivamente in forma strumentale, con arrangiamenti di entrambi. Solo in due temi famosi, “Trem Das Cores" e “Um Dia," c'è l'interpretazione vocale di Monica Salmaso, una delle cantanti brasiliane più in vista degli ultimi vent'anni. Morelenbaum e la Wilmer sono anche autori degli arrangiamenti, che hanno un peso rilevante nella riuscita del progetto, privilegiando l'adesione ai profili tematici ...

2
Album Review

Bruna Black: Vã Revelação

Read "Vã Revelação" reviewed by Richard J Salvucci


Bruna Black is yet another one of those performers who started as something other than a singer but got there as soon as she could. Supposedly, she was a semi-pro basketball player, although that is not easy to run down. She certainly is a singer and a good one. Her repertoire in this recording is all in Portuguese, Brazilian Portuguese, and as melodious as anything to be found. When Astrud Gilberto came on to the scene in 1964, she did ...

9
Album Review

Anat Cohen Quartetinho: Bloom

Read "Bloom" reviewed by Katchie Cartwright


Anat Cohen's Quartetinho emerged from her Tentet with a self-titled album in 2022 (Anat Cohen Quartetinho, Anzic). It is a mighty little group, enhanced by doubling: Vitor Gonçalves plays accordion and piano, Tal Mashiach is on bass and guitar, James Shipp handles vibes, marimba and percussion, Cohen on clarinets. For Bloom, the band's second album, each musician contributed new compositions, generating a harmonious program that mingles flamenco (Mashiach's “Paco") with tango (Gonçalves' “Tango Para Guillermo") and ...

7
Album Review

Karrin Allyson: A Kiss for Brazil

Read "A Kiss for Brazil" reviewed by Katchie Cartwright


A Kiss for Brazil is Kansas-bred Grammy-nominated singer Karrin Allyson's third release to feature Brazilian music (From Paris to Rio, Concord, 1999; Imagina, Concord, 2008), and her first to showcase Brazilian musicians: Vitor Gonçalves on piano and accordion, Rafael Barata at the drums, plus the acclaimed singer-guitarist and songwriter Rosa Passos. First-call New York-based guitarist Yotam Silberstein and bassist Harvie S complete the group. The album sprang into being spontaneously, in response to a concert Passos had scheduled in New ...

6
Album Review

Claudia Villela: Cartas ao Vento

Read "Cartas ao Vento" reviewed by Katchie Cartwright


Cartas ao Vento marks a return and a departure for Claudia Villela. Born in Rio, she moved to Santa Cruz in 1984, where she has remained. Years later, this is her first album made in Brazil. Villela has gained recognition in California and beyond as an intrepid improviser with a beautiful voice who creates captivating live shows. With Cartas ao Vento, she changes direction, focusing on composing. “I wanted everything to be part of the song," she explains, “to get ...

7
Album Review

Yotam Silberstein: Universos

Read "Universos" reviewed by Fiona Ord-Shrimpton


Universos is a trio album featuring Yotam Silberstein on guitar, accordionist and pianist Vitor Goncalves, with drummer Daniel Dor, plus special guests. It is a balance of Silberstein co-ordinating joyful Latin wellbeing and moderated contentment, an acknowledgment of the wonderful and exalted beings and moments that make him, and us, grateful to be alive. Never boring, Universos is accessible, erudite and easy-going and a great album to support good vibes during festivities of all kinds. As mood makers go, Universos ...

Read more articles

Concerts

Music

Recordings: As Leader | As Sideperson

Echo

Sunnyside Records
2025

buy

Guardians

Self Produced
2024

buy

A Kiss for Brazil

Origin Records
2024

buy

Vã Revelação

Green Flash Music
2024

buy

Bloom

Anzic Records
2024

buy

Trem Das Cores

Biscoito Fino
2024

buy

Vã Revelação

From: Vã Revelação
By Vitor Gonçalves

Flor de Lis

From: A Kiss for Brazil
By Vitor Gonçalves

Rosemary's Lullaby

From: Guardians
By Vitor Gonçalves

Karate

From: Unraveled
By Vitor Gonçalves

These Days

From: Unraveled
By Vitor Gonçalves

Dindi

From: Unraveled
By Vitor Gonçalves

The Peacocks

From: Unraveled
By Vitor Gonçalves

Voice Is Magic

From: Unraveled
By Vitor Gonçalves

Lie In Wait

From: Unraveled
By Vitor Gonçalves

Happy To Stay

From: Unraveled
By Vitor Gonçalves

Unraveled

From: Unraveled
By Vitor Gonçalves

Love Again

From: Unraveled
By Vitor Gonçalves

No More 'I Love You's

From: Unraveled
By Vitor Gonçalves

Videos

Get more of a good thing!

Our weekly newsletter highlights our top stories, our special offers, and upcoming jazz events near you.

Install All About Jazz

iOS Instructions:

To install this app, follow these steps:

All About Jazz would like to send you notifications

Notifications include timely alerts to content of interest, such as articles, reviews, new features, and more. These can be configured in Settings.