Berklee’s Signature Series Celebrates Brazilian Composers Caetano Veloso and Antônio Carlos Jobim

Berklee’s Signature Series presents the Music of Caetano Veloso and Antônio Carlos Jobim featuring Gaia Wilmer and Jaques Morelenbaum, a celebration of two of Brazil’s most prominent composers, Antônio Carlos “Tom” Jobim and Caetano Veloso. The concert features legendary cellist and producer Jaques Morelenbaum, saxophonist Gaia Wilmer, and the Berklee World Strings, and will be held on Wednesday, September 18 at 8:00 p.m. at the Berklee Performance Center. 

Conceived by Morelenbaum—Veloso’s artistic partner for 14 years—and Wilmer, an accomplished saxophonist, composer, arranger, and music producer in Brazil and in the United States, the concert is directed by Professor Eugene Friesen of Berklee’s String Department. The event will also feature several Berklee faculty members and student soloists performing both Caetano’s music and Jobim’s compositions.

Veloso and Jobim have been instrumental in contributing to Brazilian music and jazz. Veloso is a central figure in the tropicália movement, combining Brazilian music with foreign influences such as rock 'n' roll, while Jobim is internationally revered as one of the pioneers of the bossa nova genre with such compositions as “The Girl from Ipanema” and “Desafinado” that have been performed by jazz and pop musicians globally.

“This concert is a celebration of Brazilian culture through the music of Caetano Veloso and Antônio Carlos Jobim," says Wilmer. "Jaques and I share a deep love and admiration for these composers—Jaques has worked with both of them, and I grew up listening to their music. Half of the concert will be Caetano’s music with our Trem das Cores Ensemble featuring Berklee students, and the other half will be Tom Jobim’s compositions with the Berklee World Strings. It will be fun!”

The concert will begin with Morelenbaum’s original arrangement of Jobim’s music performed by a string orchestra, with Wilmer leading a performance from a 10-piece ensemble featuring flutists Maiara Moraes and Yulia Musayelyan and drummer Rafael Barata.

Morelenbaum, who worked with Jobim on the 1995 Grammy Award–winning album Antônio Brasileiro, has gained international acclaim through a world tour with world-renowned multi-instrumentalist and composer Egberto Gismonti, as well as a collaboration with Japanese composer and pianist Ryuichi Sakamoto, and the Jobim Morelenbaum Sakamoto Quartet. He has also worked with Berklee Valencia honorary doctorate recipient Gilberto Gil '23H. 

Wilmer, who has been involved in many crossover projects throughout her career, also leads several bands, including the Gaia Wilmer Octet, the Rama Trio, and the Gaia Wilmer Large Ensemble. Some of her most notable collaborations have included performances and recordings with the likes of drummer and composer Ra-Kalam Bob Moses, Egberto Gismonti, Frank Carlberg, Morelenbaum, and many other musicians. In addition, she has been commissioned to write music for big bands and small ensembles, as well as for visual artists.

Admission is $15/$20 in advance and $20/$25 on the day of the show. Tickets can be purchased online or in person at the Berklee Performance Center box office, located at 136 Massachusetts Avenue, Boston.