Brazilian guitarist, arranger and composer, Nelson Faria was born in Belo Horizonte,MG,and grew 　　up in Brasilia,DF,where he began his guitar lessons. 　　 　　In 1983,he moved to Los Angeles to attend G.I.T (Guitar Institute of Technology),where he studied with Joe Diorio,Joe Pass,Ron Eschete,Howard Roberts,Scott Henderson,Frank Gambale,and many others.While in L.A. he also took private lessons with the chord melody master Ted Greene. 　　After his return to Brazil in 1984,Nelson Faria became one of the most important names on call lists for workshops,clinics,seminars,recording sessions and concerts. 　　 　　His name appears on over 70 CDs and he has performed in Brazil,US,Europe and Israel. He has performed and/or recorded with artists including João Bosco, Ivan Lins,Gonzalo Rubalcaba,Lisa Ono,Milton Nascimento, Edú Lobo, Cassia Eller, Baby do Brasil, Zélia Duncan, Paulo Moura, Toninho Horta, Antonio Adolfo, Carlos Malta, Ana Caram, Mauricio Einhorn,Leila Pinheiro and Wagner Tiso. 　　In 2001 he was awarded the "Bolsa Virtuose " scholarship under the auspices of Ministério da Cultura of Brazil and joined the BMI Jazz Composers Workshop. As part of that program he studied privately with master arranger Manny Albam,and in group with Mr.Albam, Jim McNeely and Michael Abene. 　　As an educator, Nelson has taught for 12 years at the Estácio de Sá University (Rio de Janeiro, Brasil),and has taught clinics on Brazilian guitar at the "International Association of Jazz Educators " (IAJE),University of South California, San Francisco State University, Guitar Institute of Technology,Göteborgs Universitet (Goteborg -Sweden), Manhattan School of Music (New York-US), Berklee College of Music (Boston -US),Universidade Federal de Ouro Preto (Brasil), Associação Brasileira de Educação Musical (Rio de Janeiro,Brasil),Curso Internacional de Verão de Brasília (Brasil),and Oficina de MPB de Curitiba (Brasil). 　　 　　Nelson Faria has five CD titles under his name:Ioiô (Perfil Musical,1993), Beatles,a Brazilian Tribute with pianist José Namen (Solo Music,1998), Janelas Abertas with singer Carol Saboya (Lumiar Discos,1999), Três/Three with bassist Nico Assumpção and drummer Lincoln Cheib (Independent,2000) and Nelson Faria (Independent 2002). 　　 　　He has written four educational books:A arte da improvisação (Lumiar Ed.1991),The Brazilian Guitar Book (Sher Music Co.1995) , Inside The Brazilian Rhythm Section (Sher Music 2002) Escalas,arpejos 　　e acordes para violão e guitarra (Lumiar Ed.1999),and produced the instructional video Toques de Mestre ("Touch of a Master " --Giannini SA,1990).He also appears on the instructional video Secrets of Brazilian Music and in the book Brazilian Music Workshop by Antonio Adolfo.