Sonhando o Brasil
The Ricardo Herz Trio brings together one of the most distinctive line-ups in contemporary Brazilian instrumental music: violin, piano and drums. On Sonhando o Brasil, the trio connects Brazilian rhythms with the freedom of jazz and collective creation.
The violin stands at the centre of the music not only as a solo voice, but also as a rhythmic, harmonic and percussive instrument. Ricardo Herz’s technique draws on the rabeca, a traditional Brazilian folk fiddle, the phrasing of choro and the breathing pulse of the accordion.
The original repertoire moves through Brazilian rhythms including baião, maracatu, frevo, xote and coco. In every performance, themes and arrangements take on new shapes through improvisation and the musicians’ interaction.
Ricardo Herz Trio live — Sonhando o Brasil album launch concert
Listen to Sonhando o Brasil
The trio
Ricardo Herz — violin
Fábio Leandro — piano/keyboard
Pedro Ito — drums and percussion
The line-up balances rhythmic sophistication, improvisation and a direct connection with the audience.
The trio’s journey
Founded in 2011, the Ricardo Herz Trio originally featured Ricardo Herz on violin, Michi Ruzitschka on seven-string guitar and Pedro Ito on drums and percussion. From the outset, the group developed its own approach to Brazilian instrumental music, exploring melody, accompaniment, rhythm and improvisation in unconventional ways.
This line-up recorded the albums Aqui é o Meu Lá (2012) and Torcendo a Terra (2017). The combination of violin, guitar, drums and percussion established the trio’s rhythmic identity and distinctive body of original work.
The current line-up, heard on Sonhando o Brasil, brings together Ricardo Herz, Fábio Leandro on piano/keyboard and Pedro Ito. The piano expands the trio’s dialogue with contemporary jazz while preserving its Brazilian pulse and the musical language developed over the years.
Since its creation, the trio has performed this repertoire on stages and at festivals in Brazil and abroad, including the Skopje Jazz Festival in North Macedonia, the Miri Jazz Festival in Malaysia and jazzahead! in Germany. Through every transformation, original music, the creative risk of improvisation and a close connection with the audience remain at its core.
About Sonhando o Brasil
“An instrumental album of the highest quality.”
Aquiles Rique Reis — Correio da Manhã, 2024
Read the full review
“This reporter, at least, hopes that many people will have the opportunity to see this performance.”
Carlos Bozzo Junior — Folha de S.Paulo, 2024
Read the article
About Ricardo Herz
Violinist, composer and arranger Ricardo Herz has developed a distinctive voice for the Brazilian violin, shaped by the breathing pulse of the accordion, the rough-edged growl of the rabeca, the phrasing of choro and the freedom of improvisation. A graduate of the University of São Paulo, he also studied at Berklee College of Music and the Centre des Musiques Didier Lockwood. His career encompasses original projects, major collaborations, solo appearances and an extensive discography.
Voices on Ricardo Herz
Quotes translated from Portuguese.
“Brazilian music, his speciality, is magnificently and originally represented here through his outstanding talent as a violinist.”
Didier Lockwood
“With sensitivity and virtuosity, swing and lyricism, Ricardo Herz is writing an important chapter in the history of popular violin in Brazil. Everything is driven by great musicianship and his most striking quality on stage: charisma. A success with audiences and critics.”
Hamilton de Holanda
“Ricardo is one of the finest young musicians around today — he truly knows how to play. He is a great force for Brazilian music and, besides being an excellent musician, has a unique flavour when playing violin in forró.”
Dominguinhos
“Violino Popular Brasileiro is the perfect title for Ricardo Herz’s album. With refined technique, he moves through baião, forró — at times sounding like a rabeca — samba, choro and songs with the authority and intimacy of someone who truly knows Brazil.”
Edu Lobo
Available for touring
Available for festivals, theatres, jazz clubs and cultural programmes.