REVIEWS
"What André Simão elicited from the strings in his program "Poetry of the Guitar" at the Burgberggarten once again demonstrated that music is the most immediate and emotional form of art. Old and new joyfully united, the solemn and the eager for life in wonderful harmony. Swift fingers are not everything in this; the soul of an artist plays at least half."
“The Brazilian Andre Simao is such a guitarist, and consequently he plays every single track on this CD perfect. Bombastic in the rhythmic, sensitive while presenting the enchanting melodies and extremely sound sensitive when colouring the refined harmonies, the guitarist asserts himself over the almost one-hour program. He does not seem to know or fear maximum difficulties, which is why some highly virtuoso pieces, such as Appassionata by Ronaldo Miranda or Pereira's Rapsodia dos malacos, give the listener the highest listening pleasure. Bellinatti's now world-famous Jongo sets the perfect ending behind the exciting program of the very well produced album. Therefore, this album is recommended not only for Brazil fans, but all lovers of excellently composed and interpreted classical guitar music.”
— Akustik Gitarre Magazine, Germany, March 2019
“Assad’s Seis Brevidades pack an amazing amount of beauty, power, and invention into bite-size portions (…) and require a virtuosity that the left-handed Simão achieves with seeming ease."
— Classical Guitar, USA, Juni 2019
“He impressed with a seldom-heard mix of brilliant technic, the highest concentration, as well a admirable precision, expressiveness and tangible joy of playing (...) André Simão offered what could be described as a "sensitive perfection."
— Main-Echo Zeitung - Germany, 2011
“World-class guitarist André Simão enraptured the audience at the Auferstehungskirche (...) high technical skill and great empathy."
— Allgäuer Zeitung - Germany, 2010
A Brazilian magician on classical guitar. "Johann Sebastian Bach would surely have enjoyed (...) the way his "Prelude and Fugue" (from the" Well-Tempered Clavier) sounded on the guitar, the way the texture was worked out and the somewhat elegiac character was expressed. (...) A magical evening guitar."
— Pegnitz-Zeitung - Germany, 2009
“Everybody knows that there are many top guitarists in Brazil, but the majority of them are not pure classic guitarists, with some exceptions, such as the Duo Assad. André Simão is Brazilian and he is a classic guitarrist. This CD, which is his first, proves that he is a soloist of international format. The 17 titles of this potpourri program from Weiss to Giuliani and his fellow countryman Gnatalli indicate that he has a brilliant technique, a rich sound and a very good taste. His interpretation of Tasman’s Cavatina shows us how this Suite should always be given to the listener. It’s great! But the real top points are the Suite para Guitarra whose author, César Guerra-Peixe, is not well known outside Brazil, and the etudes by the famous Radamés Gnatalli which are also rarely performed. The Suite para Guitarra hadn’t had any alternative recording up to now and this fact increases considerably the value of this current album. Andre’s sensitive performance gives this piece the right sonority. Gnatalli’s etudes are, on the other side, enriched by the performer’s sense of humour as well as technical assurance which show that this debut is definitely a success.”
— Akustik Gitarre Magazine - Germany, May 2008
"The Brazilian André Simão has given a delightful character to his performance. His agility outlined the different musical shades in the Fantasia, Opus 30, by Fernando Sor. The artist excelled himself in Ronaldo Miranda's Apassionata. Sometimes there were playful and pearly sounds, sometimes the music seemed to be gliding to quieter waters. All of a sudden, the music came in cascades of sounds with mixed jazz elements seemingly at random. This interplay of passionate feelings was captured by the artist who has played with remarkable expression."
— Augsburger Allgemeine - Germany, 2008
“This CD confirms the Brazilian tradition of producing outstanding guitarists.”
— Revista Concerto - Brazil, 2007
“André Simão’s quiet and melodic guitar has created a special atmosphere in the exposition – Music and painting combined!”
— Aachener Zeitung - Germany, 2007
“What draws attention to André Simão is that he can create a personal style just because he doesn’t want to impose himself on the piece he plays and because he always produces a crystalline sound, a balanced speech and a luminous musicality that is contrary to eccentricity.”
— Fabio Zanon, radio broadcast “The Brazilian Guitar” – Radio Cultura de São Paulo, 2007
“André Simão is a serious guitarist with great musical sensibility and whose career I have been following with much interest for several years. His first CD solo immediately calls our attention for the splendid recording quality which was carried out by Ricardo Marui at Santa Cruz Church in Redenção da Serra (Brazil), a place which is bound to become a pilgrimage site for guitarists due to its generous and welcoming acoustic. Andre Simão’s polyphonic and well worked sonority together with a careful musical interpretation can therefore be completely savoured in each one its tracks.”
— Sérgio Abreu, brazilian guitarist and luthier, 2007