Born in Rio de Janeiro, guitarist, composer and arranger Ricardo Peixoto came to the U.S. by way of a scholarship to Boston’s Berklee College of Music, and later settled in the San Francisco Bay Area. He graduated with a BM in Performance, and studied with Pat Metheny, Gary Burton and Mick Goodrick. After moving to the Bay Area, he studied classical guitar with George Sakellariou. An inspired improviser with a keen compositional sense, Ricardo’s unique and eloquent style evokes images far beyond his Brazilian territory. His fluid melodic style and keen compositional sense explore Brazil’s rich and diverse traditions while incorporating elements of jazz and classical guitar, placing him among the top representatives of Brazilian guitar in the US today. He has recorded, performed, and collaborated with artists such as Claudia Villela, Flora Purim and Airto, Bud Shank, Dom Um Romão, Marcos Silva, Almir Côrtes, Rogério Souza, Terra Sul, and the Berkeley Choro Ensemble, among others. He currently serves as a teacher and lecturer at California Brazil Camp and Jazz Camp West, and has taught at the Jazzschool for the last several years.