Octávio Deluchi is a classical guitarist, arranger, educator, and producer whose career is marked by artistic depth and versatility. Originally from the countryside of Minas Gerais, Brazil, he began his musical training in the town of Prados, immersed in an environment deeply rooted in Brazilian cultural traditions. Now based in New York City, Deluchi builds a multifaceted career that integrates performance, research, education, and music production, with the guitar at the heart of his work.
He has been described as “one of the greatest talents of Brazilian guitar today” (O Tempo) and “one of the most active and brilliant soloists of his generation” (Acervo Digital do Violão Brasileiro) by the specialized press. His work stands out for its commitment to artistic excellence and his pursuit of new dialogues between traditional repertoire and contemporary languages, often engaging in collaborations with artists from diverse fields and cultural contexts.
As a performer, Deluchi is known for his captivating and dynamic stage presence, appearing both as a soloist and chamber musician in various countries. He gained international recognition after making his solo debut at Carnegie Hall at age 24. He holds more than 15 awards in national and international competitions, including the IBLA Grand Prize, Souza Lima Guitar Competition, Charlottesville Guitar Competition, Philadelphia International Music Festival Concerto Competition, and the Musicalis National Guitar Competition, among others. He has premiered or collaborated on works by composers such as Sérgio Assad, Vicente Paschoal, João Luiz, Luís Carlos Barbieri, Terrence Shepherd, Megan Deslinger, and Mary Simmons, to name a few.
Deluchi has performed in leading concert series and venues, including Dizzy’s Club at Lincoln Center, Composer’s Now, Americas Society/Council of the Americas, BNDES, and the Odeon Guitar Series in New York. As a chamber musician, he has collaborated and/or shared the stage with a wide range of artists, including Eduardo Leandro and Arthur Haas in projects affiliated with Stony Brook University, as well as renowned names such as Emmanuele Baldini, Tania León, Phil Setzer, São Paulo Chamber Soloists, Luca Raele, Guido Campos, Gabriele Leite, Weiting Sun, Rodrigo Frade, and Pedro Gadelha, further expanding his artistic reach.
Highlights of his 2025 concert season already include performances at Carnegie Hall (as part of the Nuestros Sonidos series) and the Radford International Guitar Festival. Upcoming tours are scheduled for Brazil, Chile, Colombia, and across the United States, reinforcing his presence on an international level.
In 2024, Deluchi launched SERTÃO Americas, a platform designed to promote and encourage new dialogues around art, culture, and music, expanding how these fields are thought about and experienced. The initiative currently features active artistic and educational programs in Brazil.
In addition to this project, Deluchi collaborates with AssoVio Vertentes, serves as the director of the Lira Ceciliana Guitar Festival, and is one of the coordinators of BCGC – Brazilian Classical Guitar Community, alongside fellow artists dedicated to promoting the Brazilian guitar. Since 2018, he has been a teacher, artist-in-residence, and guest soloist at the Prados Music Festival, maintaining a strong presence in the musical and cultural development of his home region.
As an educator, he teaches in Manhattan and Brooklyn through Ezra Guitar, and has maintained his private studio since 2012. He has also taught at the undergraduate level at Stony Brook University and served as Assistant Professor at Radford University in the United States.
Deluchi’s artistic development has been deeply influenced by major figures in guitar and music such as Guilherme Vincens, João Luiz, Robert Trent, Paulo Martelli, Fábio Zanon, Vladmir Agostini, and Ian Guest. He completed his formal studies at the Federal University of São João del-Rei (UFSJ) in Brazil and Radford University (RU) in Virginia. He is currently a doctoral candidate at Stony Brook University, in the United States.
