Ricardo Herz & Vanille Goovaerts
Arcos Brasileiros
Two musicians, four bowed instruments and one shared musical language. Ricardo Herz and Vanille Goovaerts bring together violins and rabecas — traditional Brazilian folk fiddles — in a vibrant concert of Brazilian popular music, shaped by rhythm, improvisation and lyricism.
The project grew from the meeting of the artists’ Brazilian and French musical paths. Choro, forró, xote and baião coexist with the freedom of live creation. The result is a chamber-like yet deeply rhythmic sound, equally at home in a concert hall or at an instrumental music festival.
Arcos Brasileiros live
A selection of performances revealing the duo’s interplay, dynamics and sound on stage.
Two musical paths, one shared language
Ricardo’s violin carries the breathing pulse of the accordion, the swing of choro and the energy of the rabeca. Vanille expands this world through her jazz background and her ongoing research into the rabeca and forró, developed since 2018 during travels through Brazil’s Northeast and the São Paulo region. On stage, roles are constantly exchanged: melody, bass, percussion, accompaniment and improvisation move from one bow to the other.
Released in 2026, the album Arcos Brasileiros captures this identity and offers a direct way into the project’s repertoire.
The concert and beyond
The duo can be presented as a stand-alone concert or as part of programmes devoted to Brazilian music, jazz, strings and cross-cultural encounters. Touring engagements may also include masterclasses and workshops on Brazilian rhythms, the rabeca, improvisation and rhythmic resources for bowed instruments.
Ricardo Herz is a violinist, composer, arranger and producer. His distinctive approach to the Brazilian violin draws on choro, forró, the rabeca and improvisation, creating an unmistakably rhythmic and contemporary language. Vanille Goovaerts is a French violinist who studied jazz at the Conservatoire de Chambéry. Based in São Paulo since 2019, she researches the rabeca, forró and other expressions of Brazilian popular music.
Booking & production
Materials for programmers, press and technical teams.