Nelson Ayres & Ricardo Herz
Música Inesperada
Nothing is more traditional than a violin-and-piano duo. Few encounters sound less predictable than the meeting of Nelson Ayres and Ricardo Herz.
In Música Inesperada (“Unexpected Music”), two improvisers from different generations turn original repertoire, choro, samba, xote and forró into musical conversation. Virtuosity is always at the service of listening, humour and surprise — every piece can find a new path on stage.
Ricardo Herz — violin and rabeca, a traditional Brazilian folk fiddle
The duo live
Performances revealing Nelson and Ricardo’s freedom, rapport and musical interplay.
Two paths meet
Nelson Ayres is a major figure in Brazilian instrumental music, with a career as a pianist, composer, arranger and conductor. Ricardo Herz has developed a personal language for the Brazilian violin, bringing it into dialogue with choro, the rabeca, the accordion and rhythmic creation.
The encounter is not built on fixed roles: piano and violin share melody, accompaniment, provocation and silence. The repertoire is reinvented at every performance.
A shared trajectory
Through concerts, recordings and appearances in leading Brazilian and instrumental music venues, the duo has consolidated a singular partnership. The album Nelson Ayres e Ricardo Herz captures this conversation through compositions and arrangements shaped by the personalities of both musicians.
“They converse, challenge one another and propose alternatives to each other.”
João Marcos Coelho
Translated from Portuguese
Booking & production
Materials for programmers, press and technical teams.