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  Duo Chordata

 Duos für bratsche und violoncello

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Duo Chordata

Reviving the Viola-Cello Dialogue

​From the 17th to the 19th century, the viola and cello duo remained a rare ensemble, with Beethoven’s Obbligato Eyeglasses (1797) standing as one of its few surviving masterworks. The 20th century, however, witnessed a renaissance for this pairing. As composers explored timbral experimentation and championed underrepresented instruments—particularly the viola’s distinctive voice—the repertoire for unconventional chamber formations flourished. This awakening not only expanded compositional possibilities but also sparked new interpretive dialogues around these works’ unique sonorities.

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Founded in 2013, Duo Chordata stands as Brazil’s pioneering ensemble dedicated to this rich yet overlooked repertoire. Our mission was born from Larissa Mattos’s groundbreaking research, culminating in her book Duos for Viola and Cello: A Catalog of Works and the Construction of Sonority in Interpretation. This seminal work uncovered 585+ medium/advanced duos, revealing the ensemble’s vast expressive potential and idiomatic diversity.

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As cultural stewards, we:

  • Premiered works globally (including 5 world premieres and 12 Brazilian debuts)

  • Commissioned 15+ new pieces from international composers like:

    • Brazil: Marco Padilha, Ronaldo Cadeu, Liduino Pitombeira

    • Europe: Holmer Becker (Germany), Derek Ball (Ireland), Peter Schuback (Sweden).

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Our collaborations have inspired compositions by Alfredo Votta, Juan María Solare, and Eberhard Eyser, bridging eras and continents through the viola-cello dialogue.

Larissa Mattos

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Cellist • Teaching Artist • Arranger

 

Born in Belo Horizonte, Brazil, Larissa Mattos holds a Master’s in Performance and a Bachelor’s in Cello from the Federal University of Minas Gerais (UFMG), where she also pursued studies in Music Composition. As the sole Brazilian fellow of the Global Leaders Program, she earned a Specialization in Community Leadership, Teaching Artistry, and Social Entrepreneurship. Later, awarded a scholarship by the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, she refined her performance skills under cellist Antonio Mostacci at Bologna’s Giovanni Battista Martini Conservatory.

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Larissa’s trajectory includes 20 music festivals and encounters, where she earned scholarships from institutions like:

  • Louisiana State University,

  • Manhattan School of Music, 

  • Penn State University (though unable to attend).

She has studied with luminaries such as Natália Gutman, Romain Garioud, Enrico Dindo, Mario Brunello, Márcio Carneiro, Bernhard Loercher, Dennis Parker, Cláudio Jaffé, Elise Pittenger, Leonhard Bartussek, Andreas Grünkorn, among others.

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A winner of five national and three international competitions, her career highlights include:

  • Performing at Carnegie Hall with the YouTube Symphony Orchestra and Michael Tilson Thomas - 2009;

  • Touring the Caribbean (Dominican Republic, Jamaica, Haiti) with the Orchestra of the Americas (YOA) - 2014;

  • Receiving a full scholarship from the Global Leaders Program for her especialization - 2018.

As an educator, Larissa served as:

  • Substitute Professor of Cello and Music Theory at the University of Brasília (UnB) - 2017-2019;

  • Cello Instructor at São Paulo’s Baccarelli Institute - 2014-2017;

  • Music Teacher and Arranger for Neojibá’s Trancoso String Orchestra 2011-2013;

  • Volunteer Teacher in Haiti, Dominican Republic, Jamaica, Chile, and Washington, D.C - 2012-2018.

  • She was invited to teach masterclasses at Palácio das Artes and Federal University of Minas Gerais (Belo Horizonte) and lecture on Group Cello Teaching at UFMG’s String Meeting - 2021-2025.

Pedagogical contributions include commissioned arrangements for global social programs:

  • Tom Zelle (YOURS Project, Chicago);

  • Richard Young (BATUTA/Colombia, Esperanza Azteca/Mexico);

  • Jorge Risi (Sonantes Project/Uruguay);

  • David Evenchick (Suzuki Association of the Americas).

On stage, Larissa has performed as:

  • Soloist and Principal Cellist of the Bologna Cello Project and Bologna Conservatory Orchestra (Italy);

  • Concertmaster of the Goiás Philharmonic Orchestra;

  • Guest Cellist with Theatro Municipal de São Paulo, Mato Grosso State Orchestra, UniNorte/Paraguay Orchestra, among others.

  • Notably, she performed at Rocca Calascio Castle for descendants of the Italian Royal Family 

  • Premiered Jessica T. Carter’s cello concerto “Rancor and Triumph” with the Cláudio Santoro National Theater Symphony Orchestra.

  • Premiered Marlos Nobre’s Sinfonia Concertante for cello, violin, and orchestra under the baton of conductor Alex Klein at the Santa Catarina Music Festival (FEMUSC).

Her creative work spans:

  • Original scores for theater and film (e.g., Grupo Girau’s “Evoé – Music to Be Seen”, winner of Minas Gerais’ Culture Incentive Fund);

  • Cross-genre collaborations with popular musicians;

  • Academic research: Authored “Duos for Viola and Cello: A Catalog of Works and the Construction of the Duo’s Sound in Interpretation” (Paco Editorial), a groundbreaking publication.

Current ensembles:

  • Duo Chordata (3rd Place, BNDES Cultural Award 2017);

  • Quarteto Distrital;

  • Associate Solo Cellist of the Cláudio Santoro National Theater Symphony Orchestra (Brasília).​

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Contact & Links

✉ larissacello@gmail.com | @quartetodistrital
🎬 YouTube | 📚 Lattes CV
Languages: Portuguese (Native), Italian (fluent), Spanish, English.

Cindy Folly

Violist • Violinist | Bridging Erudition and Artistry

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Born in Goiânia, Brazil, Cindy Folly Faria embodies the rare duality of a virtuoso violist and violinist, complemented by her scholarly pursuits in music performance. Her academic journey spans a Doctorate from São Paulo State University (UNESP) (2022), a Master’s in Viola Performance, and a Bachelor’s in Violin from the Federal University of Goiás, crowned by specialized studies at the University of Georgia under violinist Michael Heald.

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A prizewinner at Brazil’s Araçatuba Chamber Music Competition, Cindy’s orchestral career shines through her roles as:

  • Assistant Principal Viola of the Goiânia Symphony Orchestra

  • Principal Viola of the Goiás Philharmonic Orchestra

  • Violist at São Paulo’s Municipal Theatre (2014–2018), performing in internationally acclaimed opera productions under maestros of global renown.

  • Violist at Cláudio Santoro National Theater Symphony Orchestra.

  • Chamber Musician in the Duo Chordata.

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Her artistry has graced stages across three continents:

  • South Korea: Performances at Seoul’s National Theater with the Cláudio Santoro National Theater Symphony Orchestra.

  • Spain: Concert tours through Barcelona, Granada, and Girona.

  • Brazil: Recordings of 21st-Century Brazilian Music for Violin and Strings with the Goiás Philharmonic, and multiple CDs with the Mato Grosso Orchestra.

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As a scholar, Cindy’s research explores the intersection of viola technique and vocal lyricism, crystallized in her master’s thesis "Relations Between the Viola and Lyric Singing: Interpretative Approaches".

 

Today, she continues to shape Brazil’s musical landscape as:​​

  • Faculty Member at the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ)

  • Performer and educator, bridging classical tradition with contemporary innovation.

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Contact & Links

📺 YouTube  | 📚 Lattes CV

Languages: Portuguese (Native), Italian (fluent), Spanish, English.

Duos for viola and cello
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