Biography
Tiago Almeida (Geneva, 1996) is a Swiss-Portuguese guitarist based in Zurich, Geneva, and Viseu. His new project recently received a special mention from the Zurich University of the Arts (Switzerland) for his creativity and his ability to develop unique and innovative projects. This distinctiveness has also led him to collaborate with international artists (USA, Colombia, Portugal, France, Germany) and attracted the attention of magazines such as EGTA, which recently published an article on his chamber music work for classical guitar.
In recent years, Tiago has actively participated in various festivals and workshops, including the GuitarArt Festival (Belgrade, Serbia) and the Javeriana University (Bogotá, Colombia), where he had the opportunity to present his work. Several prominent guitar figures, such as Elodie Bouny, Pavel Steidl, and Julio Azcano, have praised his projects as "a new and promising approach" to the instrument.
His musical journey began at the age of 7 with his first teacher, Pierre-Alain Magni, in Geneva, where Tiago quickly developed an affinity for composition and arrangement. His dedication to music was recognized in 2015 when he became the first guitarist to win the first prize at the “Collège de Genève.” Following this achievement, he was admitted to the Haute École de Musique de Lausanne (Switzerland), where he studied with the Brazilian guitarist Dagoberto Linhares.
Tiago was also a key member of the post-rock band *Among the Limbs*, where he was one of the main composers, arrangers, and guitarists. The band performed at several venues across Europe, including a notable show at the Antigel Festival (Switzerland).
In 2019, Tiago continued his artistic development at the Zürcher Hochschule der Künste (Switzerland), studying under professors Anders Miolin and Vojin Kocic, where he earned two master’s degrees — one in Music Education and another in Performance.
The Swiss-Portuguese guitarist now seeks to explore lesser-known musical styles within the traditional guitar repertoire to expand the scope of classical guitar. Recently, he launched a unique personal project centered around fado and classical guitar, connecting with his cultural identity and addressing contemporary themes like migration. He is also a member of the jazz-classical guitar trio *Trio Camaïeu*, with whom he has toured Europe and South America, and he also performs with the guitar-cello-clarinet group *Three Leaves Left*.
In addition to his career as a musician, Tiago is also a dedicated teacher. He currently teaches at the conservatories of Baden and Brugg (Switzerland).
Chamber music projects
Trio Camaïeu
Three Leaves Left
Three Leaves Left
Trio Camaïeu is an atypical classical guitar trio made up of three musicians: Tiago Almeida, Nicolas Urrego and Raphaël Duchosal Binaz. Hailing from all over the world, from Colombia to France and Portugal, these three young musicians, who are studying together at the Zurich University of the Arts, compose, arrange and share the music they love. They break with the codes of classical guitar by offering a varied programme based on their three musical cultures. From trio pieces to solo repertoire, they are also interested in the form of the concert: they tell a story, a journey, all guided by the gentle sound of their guitars.
Three Leaves Left
Three Leaves Left
Three Leaves Left
These three musicians met as university students in 2017. They are a French, German, Portuguese, Swiss and American band based in Switzerland. This unique trio has developed a love for classical crossover and enjoys fusing classical and contemporary classical techniques with a more alternative framework. They do this by arranging pre-existing music (e.g. Radiohead or Bon Iver) and adapting it to their ensemble, as well as creating original music.
Pictures
