Marco Túlio
"MARCO TÚLIO is one of the most promising musicians of the new generation of Brazilians that landed in the U.S. recently. His music is precise and gentle, and at the same time it commands attention and imagination".
FLORA PURIM, Brazilian Jazz singer legend.
Brazilian guitar player MARCO TÚLIO was born in February 27, 1964 in Cuiabá (capital of the state of Mato Grosso) and was raised in Brasília (capital of Brazil). Marco is a graduate (1984) of Seminários de Música Pró-Arte, a prestigious music school in Rio de Janeiro (Brazil). He studied with Maestro Carlos Alberto Figueiredo, guitarists Luiz Felipe Oiticica and Celso Mendes. In Rio he also studied Harmony & Arranging with Sergio Benevenuto.
Since 1984 Marco Túlio has been working as a professional guitar player and music teacher. He was the leader and/or co-leader of many instrumental bands from Brazil such as: "QUARTO DE JAZZ", "SEXTO ANDAR", "QUARTETO WABASH" and "MARCO TÚLIO TRIO". During that time Marco had the privilege to work with great brazilian musicians such as Erivelton Silva, Paulo Marques, Andre Vasconcelos, Romulo Duarte, Genil de Castro, Oswaldo Amorim, Nema Antunes, Eduardo Brito, Mac William, among others. He also worked with the legendary brazilian bass player Paulo Russo.
In 1990 he came to Los Angeles for the first time, to study at MUSICIANS INSTITUTE. He studied with guitarists Joe Diorio, Scott Henderson, Norman Brown and with pianist/composer Carl Schroeder. After graduating with "Honors" from MI he went back to Brazil and opened a music school (MUSIC MAKERS) with guitarist Eduardo Brito and pianist Luciana Botafogo. There he taught GUITAR, HARMONY & IMPROVISATION. During that period he had the opportunity to organize workshops at his school with great american guitarists PAT METHENY and JOE DIORIO.
In 1997 Marco Tulio got the "VIRTUOSI AWARD" from the Ministry of Culture of Brazil. At the end of that year he moved to Los Angeles, where he's been living since then.
In 2003 he wrote the theme song for the TV Talk Show "New Life".
As a member of the band Klezmer Juice Marco recorded one song for the soundtrack of the movie "The Wedding Crashers" (Directed by David Dobkin for "New Line Cinema") - released in July, 2005, starring Owen Wilson, Vince Vaughn and Christopher Walken. Marco and the group also appeared in a scene in the movie.
In April, 2007 the Marco Tulio Trio opened for pop singer Sheryl Crow at an event for Mastercard.
Marco has been performing and recording extensively in Los Angeles with great musicians and singers such as pop star Thalia, Roy Firestone, Richie "Gajate" Garcia, Dan Kuramoto, June Kuramoto, Frank Zottoli, Guillermo Guzman, Linnea Ross, Rique Pantoja, Mike Rivera, Larry Rousseve, Mark Gutierrez, Mitchell Long, Kamal Kozah, Mitch Espe, Eric Harper, Kimera, Irene, Flavia de Mello, Gustavo Bulgach, Javelyn, Katia Moraes, Nayzeth, Ana Gazzola, Sonia Santos, the group Brasil Brazil, Diana Moreira Booker, Victor Serraldi, Marta Santamaria, Renni Flores, Ron Javorsky and Antonio Santanna. He had also played on many private events for celebrities such as JANET JACKSON, BILL CLINTON, HILARY CLINTON, ARNOLD SCHWARTZNEGER, OSCAR DE LA RENTA, and MAGIC JOHNSON.
Marco Tulio played at the event celebrating the final episode of the hit TV Show "WILL & GRACE".
He had also played on venues such as 46th Annual Grammy Awards, Ford Amphitheatre, Spaghettini Jazz Club, Neiman Marcus, Spazio, Rocco's, Jax, Club 705, La Ve Lee, Opera House Theatre (Napa Valley), Granita, Twin Palms, Café Med, Bamboo, Coppacabana, Farfalla, Leblon, Temple Bar, Lush, Sangria, to name a few.
In 2001 he released his first CD as a leader in the US called "Eleven Bridges" with all original compositions, featuring: keyboardist Rique Pantoja, saxophonist George Shelby, flute player Darryl Richards, bassists Ernest Tibbs and Antonio de Santanna, drummers Tim McIntyre and Mike Shapiro, percussionist Cassio Duarte.