Lelo Nazario

Who is Lelo Nazario?

Lelo Nazario is a Composer, arranger, pianist, producer and musical director whose work is marked by experimentation and timelessness. Recognized in his native Brazil and abroad as the creator of a unique style that blends contemporary classical music and jazz with avant-garde forms and Brazilian motifs, he wrote award-winning music which includes works for piano, orchestra and ensembles of various configurations as well as electroacoustic music, film scores, television, opera, dance and theater.

Born in São Paulo in 1956, he began his piano studies piano at age 4, and later studied with pianist Menininha Lobo. A passion for the avant-garde styles came at an early age, and at age 17, he was invited to the group of Hermeto Pascoal along with his brother, drummer Ze Eduardo Nazario. The brothers and the bassist, Zeca Assumpção, formed what became known as “The S. Paulo Rhythm Section” of the Hermeto group until 1977.

In search of his own musical style, he formed the Grupo UM in 1976, using bold and dense sound experiments to create an original repertoire that combined acoustic music and Brazilian rhythms in a contemporary musical structure.