Altamiro Carrilho

The flute has always been an essential instrument in choro, originally taking the melody leading part in the terno (- the founding formation of a choro ensemble consisting of guitar, cavaquinho and flute). In the story of choro great instrumentists like Joaquim Calado, Pattápio Silva, Pixinguinha, Benedito Lacerda, a.o. have composed choros for the flute and exhibited virtuosic skills at playing the instrument.

Altamiro Carrilho (b.1924) is a living legend in Brazil choro and considered one of the most important choro flutists ever. He demonstrated a talent for the flute as a youngster and began his career after winning an amateur talent competition when he was a youth. He worked in a pharmacy during the day and studied his instrument in the evenings. After forming his own ensemble, he had a television show for some time in 1952. His talent as a musician extended to classical music as well as popular. His trademark is the insertion of excerpts of classical pieces into choro, and vice versa. In the 1960s he was invited to give various concerts throughout the world. He has made an extensive numer of recordings, both as an accompanist and as a soloist. Moreover he has written approximately 200 pieces for flute.

A career profile by Alvaro Neder in AMG has more details, click here
If you are familiar with the Portuguese language, learn more about Altamiro Carrilho at
his official website including an extensive discography and audio, to be reached clicking
headline or here

I found a couple of video performances on YouTube featuring Altamiro Carrilho. The first is a potpourri of pieces by Pixinguinha

The secound fragment features Altamiro Carrilho with Armandinho and Época de Ouro in a rendition of "Apanhei-te Cavaquinho" by Ernesto Nazareth

Jo