About me

I was born in the small town of Mira, Portugal. Ironically, the interest for the guitar was discovered through the intensive listening of a Linkin Park live album. The energy and presence of the guitar grew such a fascination in me that I asked my parents to enroll me in classical guitar lessons. I was 11 years old. Two years later, pursuing that energy, I switched to electric guitar. I dedicated 8 years to that instrument, focusing on progressive metal music. The high point of those years was a Metal band called Annexattic, band with which I performed live and recorded.

When I moved to Lisbon I became fascinated by the Brazilian music scene. Almost any artistic person was able to pick a guitar and play and sing Brazilian standards. That was enough to light that inner fire, pick up the classical guitar again and become obsessed with bossa novas. After 2 years of this routine I decided to audition for the (back then) Latin Guitar course of Codarts in Rotterdam.

I enrolled in 2020, peak of Covid, finished my bachelor in 2024 and am currently in the last year of Master in the same institution. I perform live on a regular basis with two projects: Ivan Laranjeiro Trio and Caminos Cruzados. I’m also a guitar teacher.

Artistically speaking, I describe myself as a detail-oriented leader. Through music and my instrument, I always try to construct a narrative based on detail with the goal of turning the world a more contemplative place. I am the leader of the project Ivan Laranjeiro Trio, artistic director of the Trio formation of Caminos Cruzados and founder of the Brazilian Big Band of Codarts.