Open Strings trio will perform on March 28 at Resident DTLA as part of the Songs a Vera series at Resident. The trio will present exciting Brazilian arrangements like choros, forrós as well as their original compositions. Open Strings was formed in 2022 by three stellar Los Angeles based musicians: guitarists Douglas Lora and Wesley Amorim and violinist and mandolinist, Ted Falcon.

Ted Falcon is a bi-lingual (English/Portuguese) professional musician and music educator with over 20 years of experience instructing a wide range of students. Ted made his primary residence in Brazil from 2008-2016, where he studied Brazilian music extensively, writing several choro books and teaching workshops. He has released 10 recordings in his own name and has recorded on hundreds of other projects over the past 25 years. He is currently a music teacher at the Silverlake Conservatory of Music, a non-profit school that provides needy children with free lessons. He has performed with some of the most renowned names in Brazilian instrumental music, including Hermeto Pascoal, Gilberto Gil, Armandinho Macedo, Dominguinhos and Hamilton de Holanda. Ted is an accomplished multi-instrumentalist who performs and records regularly on the violin, guitar, piano and mandolin.

Three time Grammy nominee guitarist and composer Douglas Lora transits with versatility through the universes of Classical and Popular Music, and has established himself as one of the most prominent artists of his generation. With a wide range of musical possibilities, Douglas has collaborated with renowned artist such as YoYo Ma, Paquito d’Rivera, Assad Brothers, Anat Cohen, Marco Pereira, Jovino Santos Neto, Ney Rosauro, Marina Piccinini, Paulo Bellinati, among others. Member of the awarded Brasil Guitar Duo for over twenty years, Douglas has performed extensively at the most important theaters and concert halls in the United States, Europe, Asia and Latin America. Appearances as soloists with major orchestras such as Dallas Symphony, Houston Symphony, Philharmonic Orchestra of the Americas (New York City), Delaware Symphony, Sphinx Organization Orchestra, Orquestra Sinfônica do Estado de São Paulo (Brasil) and Aukso Orchestra (Poland). With several premiere recordings, including the complete works for two guitars by Mario Castelnuovo Tedesco and Leo Brouwer (Naxos), Brasil Guitar Duo’s latest album with Delaware Symphony conducted by David Amado (featuring two premiere recordings of concerti by Paulo Bellinati and Leo Brouwer) was nominated for Latin Grammy as “Best Classical Music Album”, in 2018. Also member of the critically acclaimed Trio Brasileiro, Douglas Lora has spread the fundaments of Brazilian Popular music as a teacher, performer and composer through Europe and United States. Trio Brasileiro’s latest album “Rosa dos Ventos”, recorded with Israeli clarinetist Anat Cohen, was nominated for the 60th Grammy Awards as “Best World Music Album”, in 2018.

Wesley Amorim is a versatile Brazilian music producer, composer and Latin Grammy nominated guitarist. His resilient and resourceful character led to eighteen years of performance history and experience in music production, executive production, studio sessions, arrangement, film and media composition. At 17 he began playing and recording professionally in a wide range of music genres, from Brazilian to jazz, rock, pop, and gospel.

Amorim moved to the US in 2014 and has since shared the stage and/or recorded with renowned artists, including Alcione, Cyro Baptista, Luciana Mello, Neguinho da Beija-Flor, Jair Oliveira, Oriente Lopez, among others. In 2019 Amorim released his first duo album, “Simas & Amorim Duo – ‘Deuce’ with the pianist Luiz Simas to the acclaim of Creed Taylor and Antonio Adolfo. He also has performed on the Broadway musicals Jesus Christ Superstar and The Lion King.

Wesley performed on the album ‘Selfie’ by Jair Oliveira, which was nominated for the 2019 Latin Grammy Award for Best Portuguese Language Contemporary Pop Album. His last album, ‘From Home’ released in November of 2020, is a duo with the guitarist Rafael Borges Amaral. They perform songs by the composers Gilberto Gil, Djavan, Tom Jobim, Gluck as well their own compositions. As he started a new path in his career moving to Los Angeles, he received a mentorship by the ‘Reel Change Film Fund’ powered by SESAC and composer Christophe Beck and administered by New Music USA. In April of 2021 Amorim was announced a Grand Prize Winner for the 2021 Lee Ritenour’s Dreamcatcher guitar contest.