Duo Siqueira Lima is one of the world’s most prestigious guitar ensembles today having won the “Profissionais da Música Award” in Brazil and the “International Brazilian Press Awards” in the United States. They are recognized for their technical and interpretative virtuosity, perfect engagement, and for their daring and original arrangements made for two guitars. Their work features music of the classical repertoire as well as Brazilian and Latin America popular music.
The award-winning guitar duo Siqueira Lima, consisting of Brazilian Fernando de Lima and Uruguayan Cecilia Siqueira, engages in one of the most original and remarkable guitaristic works of the present time. With an innovative and multifaceted repertoire that spans classical and popular genres, coupled with a unique charisma, the duo has garnered an extensive fan base and significant recognition from both specialized critics and prominent figures in the current music scene.
One of the most prominent aspects of the Siqueira Lima duo's work is their audacious arrangements across a vast range of styles, from Pixinguinha, Dominguinhos, and João Bosco to Johann Sebastian Bach, Claude Debussy, and Villa-Lobos. A notable example is their transcription of Heitor Villa-Lobos's complete Bachianas Brasileiras No.4 - encompassing all four movements - which serves as one of the duo's calling cards.
Through their famous four-hand rendition of "Tico-tico no Fubá," the duo elevates classical guitar to exposure levels rarely achieved in the instrument's history. This factor has led them to gain global recognition, performing in over 40 countries, including the Americas, Europe, Africa, and Asia. They have graced prestigious stages such as the Lincoln Center (New York), New World Center (Miami), and Het Concertgebouw (Amsterdam) as well as several International Guitar Festivals around the world.
In addition to their work in arrangements and adaptations, in recent years, the duo has collaborated with prominent Brazilian composers such as Marco Pereira, Guinga, Sergio Assad, João Luiz Rezende Lopes, Paulo Bellinatti, Elodie Bouny, among others, contributing significantly to the creation and expansion of the guitar repertoire. In 2022, they released the CD "Violonístico," featuring an entirely new album of compositions for two guitars. Going further, two concerts for two guitars and orchestra were dedicated to them. "Lendas Amazônicas," composed by Marco Pereira, premiered in 2022 in Sweden at the Uppsala International Guitar Festival with the Gävle Symfoniorkester. Also, "Portais Brasileiros No.4" by André Mehmari, a prominent figure in contemporary Brazilian music, premiered in October 2023 with the São Paulo State Gru Symphony Orchestra at Sala São Paulo, Brazil. Both concerts received widespread acclaim from both the audience and critics.
“Finely detailed as a Fabergé egg” New York Times
“Being recorded by Duo Siqueira Lima is like receiving a passport to travel to lands I never thought I'd re “ Guingha, composer and guitarist
“Fernando and Cecilia are an example of extraordinary encounter working on all levels. Competing against each other in a guitar contest, they ended up joining forces both musically and spiritually to become one of the best guitar duos in the world today” Sergio Assad, guitarist and composer